New language?

[notinkansas]

Can anyone remember the name of the 'new' language that was proposed in (I think) the late 70's/early 80's. I think the idea was that it was designed so that people from different countries would all be able to learn it, and it would become the new universal language? I vaguely remember receiving some information about it when I was a kid, but I've completely forgotten the name of it now.

[Mr.Ix]

Not sure if this is the one, but Esperanto was supposed to be a universal language.

[Quizmonster]

Esperanto was first publicised in the 1880s rather than the 1980s. I can't think of an artificial or constructed language - which is what these things are normally called - as late as the dates you offer.

There have been lots of them - such as Ido and Volapuk - over the years apart fron Esperanto and none of them has "taken off".

Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_language for a web-page with more details. Once there, you can click on each of the blue-coloured headings to find out more about the various attempts to produce a universal language.

[notinkansas]

Yes that was it - Esperanto! I knew I would recognise the name if I heard it again. I didn't know it had been around so long though - you learn something new every day. Or more than one thing if you visit this site probably ...

[andy hughes]

We in the UK are very fortunate that the world has chosen to adopt an 'international' langauge, and it's English. My generation were taught French at school on the basis that it is the 'language of diplomacy' which turned out to be a false notion. Much better to learn Spanish - you can get by in English or Spanish in most countries in the world.