In the laboratory of utopian world reform
The Tallinn teacher Edgar von Wahl and the international auxiliary language movement
Keywords: modern history, constructed languages, international auxiliary language, Occidental/Interlingue, linguistic diversity, interlinguistics
The creator of one of the most successful planned languages of the first half of the 20th century, Occidental (today known as Interlingue), was Edgar von Wahl (or de Wahl), a teacher from Tallinn. His success story was far from inevitable, but the factors that made it possible have received little attention in the existing literature. This article seeks to fill this gap by analyzing these factors as well as Wahl’s contribution to the international auxiliary language movement. The article mainly discusses the activities of three organizations central to the spread of the international auxiliary language idea: the Delegation for the Adoption of an International Auxiliary Language, the League of Nations, and the International Auxiliary Language Association. An analysis of the relationship between Wahl’s choices in interlinguistics and these organizations reveals that by the first half of the 20th century, the idea of an international auxiliary language had become remarkably popular all over the world and had attracted the attention of several institutions beyond the circles of dedicated enthusiasts. This widespread recognition was the primary precondition for Wahl’s success. However, his personal strategies and decades-long experience in the constructed language community were also crucial. He had been engaged with constructed languages since essentially the beginning of their heyday, that is, from the early years of Volapük and Esperanto. During this time, he had gained valuable experience with the technical intricacies of language creation through continuous dialogue with like-minded individuals, by contributing to various projects, and by navigating the institutional dynamics and competition within these circles. In the 1920s, Wahl successfully applied these experiences to promote his own language project, Occidental, and to mobilize new adherents to the movement around it. In doing so, he – unlike many other experimenters – managed to draw significant attention to his project and person and ultimately made a valuable contribution to the development of the international auxiliary language idea.
Triin Tark (b. 1988), PhD, triint11@gmail.com
Kirjandus
ARHIIVIALLIKADGiuseppe Peano Arhiiv (L’Archivio Giuseppe Peano, AGP)
Corrispondenze. Rosenberger, Voldemar (?–1915).
https://www.comune.cuneo.it/cultura/biblioteca/cataloghi/fondo-peano.html
Rahvasteliidu arhiiv (League of Nations Archives, LNA)
Sub-series 13 – International Bureaux.
Sub-series 13C – International Bureaux – Intellectual cooperation.
Sub-series 39 – Miscellaneous.
Rahvusarhiiv (RA)
ERA.14 – Siseministeerium.
KIRJANDUS
Aray, Başak 2019. Sylvia Pankhurst and the international auxiliary language. – Język. Komunikacja. Informacja, nr 12, lk 103–112. https://doi.org/10.14746/jki.2017.12.7
Ariste, Paul 1967. Ed. Wahl – interlingvistika arendaja. – Noorte Hääl 14. I.
Back, Otto 2003. Esperanto-Spuren im Occidental. – Cejano. Almanako de la Tartua Esperanto-Societo. Rukkilill. Tartu Esperanto Seltsi Almanahh, nr 1, lk 23–34.
Barandovská-Frank, Věra 2018. Concept(s) of interlinguistics. – Język. Komunikacja. Informacja, nr 13, lk 15–31. https://doi.org/10.14746/jki.2018.13.1
Bellos, David 2015. Stop! Listen! Learn! Language in intercultural communication. – Intercultural Communication Studies, kd 24, nr 1, lk 23–30.
Berger, Ric 1937. Li ver historie del lingue international. – Cosmoglotta, nr 5, lk 65–80.
Berger, Ric 1946. Vive de Edgar de Wahl. – Cosmoglotta, nr 2, lk 17–32.
Berger, Ric 1948. Victorie del Naturalita. – Cosmoglotta, nr 140, lk 83–92.
Blanke, Detlev 1985. Internationale Plansprachen. Eine Einführung. (Sammlung Akademie-Verlag. Sprache 34.) Berlin: Akademie-Verlag.
Blanke, Detlev 1998. Wilhelm Ostwald, Ido und die Interlinguistik. – Eine Sprache für die Wissenschaft. Beiträge und Materialien des Interlinguistik-Kolloquiums für Wilhelm Ostwald, am 9. November 1996, an der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. (Interlinguistische Informationen, Beiheft 3.) Toim Ulrich Becker, Fritz Wollenberg. Berlin: Gesellschaft für Interlinguistik, lk 13–31.
Blanke, Detlev 2018. International Planned Languages: Essays on Interlinguistics and Esperantology. Toim Sabine Fiedler, Humphrey Tonkin. New York: Mondial.
Circular letter from the Secretary-General on the teaching of Esperanto in schools. – League of Nations Official Journal 1922, kd 3, lk 293.
Couturat, Louis 1901. Pour la langue internationale. Coulommiers: Imprimerie Paul Brodard.
Couturat, Louis 1904. Rapport sur les progrès de l’idée de la langue internationale. Genève: Henry Kündig, Éditeur.
Couturat, Louis 1905. An international auxiliary language. – The Monist, kd 15, nr 1, lk 143–148. https://doi.org/10.5840/monist190515138
Couturat, Louis; Leau, Léopold 1903. Histoire de la langue universelle. Paris: Librairie Hachette.
Couturat, Louis; Leau, Léopold 1907a. Les Nouvelles langues internationales. Coulommiers: Imprimerie Paul Brodard.
Couturat, Louis; Leau, Léopold 1907b. Conclusions du rapport sur l’état présent de la question de la langue internationale. Coulommiers: Imprimerie Paul Brodard.
Crystal, David 2003. Language Death. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Délégation pour l’Adoption d’une Langue Auxiliaire Internationale. – Discussiones 1909, nr 2, lk 37.
Devidé, Thaddäus 1893. Jahresbericht des Oest. Central-Vereines für Volapük in Wien. Wien: Selbstverlag des Vereines.
Discussiones inter E. de Wahl e O. Jespersen. Chapelle: Occidental-Buro, 1935.
Dulitšenko, Aleksandr 1982. Interlingvistika minevikust ja tänapäevast. – Keel ja Kirjandus, nr 6, lk 288–295.
Dulitšenko 1987 = Александр Дуличенко, Об интерлингвистической деятельности Э. Валя (с библиографическим приложением по данным „Kosmoglott” и „Cosmoglotta”). – Вопросы общей и частной интерлингвистики. (Ученые записки Тартуского государственного университета 775. Interlinguistica Tartuensis 4.) Отв. ред. А. Дуличенко. Тарту: Тартуский государственный университет, lk 87–117.
Dulitšenko, Aleksandr 2004. Maailmakeele otsinguil ehk Interlingvistika kõigile. Tartu: Tartu Ülikooli Kirjastus.
Dyer, Luther H. 1923. The Problem of an International Auxiliary Language and its Solution in Ido. [s. l.]: [s. n.].
Erelt, Pekka 2002. Keelemehest Nostradamus. Kaheksakümmend aastat tagasi mõtles tallinlane Edgar de Wahl välja uue rahvusvahelise keele. – Eesti Ekspress 17. I, lk 32.
Ernits, Enn 2017. Plaankeeled aegade voolus. – Oma Keel, nr 2, lk 13–21.
Esperanto as an International Auxiliary Language: Report of the General Secretariat of the League of Nations adopted by the Third Assembly, 1922. Paris: Imprimerie des Presses Universitaires de France, 1922.
Esterhill, Frank 2000. Interlingua Institute: A History. New York: Interlingua Institute.
Garvía, Roberto 2015. Esperanto and Its Rivals: The Struggle for an International Language. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Gazzola, Michele; Grin, François; Cardinal, Linda; Heugh, Kathleen (toim) 2024. The Routledge Handbook of Language Policy and Planning. (Routledge Handbooks.) Abingdon–New York: Routledge.
Gobbo, Federico 2005. The European Union’s need for an international auxiliary language. – Journal of Universal Language, kd 6, nr 1, lk 1–28. https://doi.org/10.22425/jul.2005.6.1.1
Guérard, Albert Léon 1921. A Short History of the International Language Movement. New York: Boni and Liveright Publishers.
Israel, Nico 2017. Esperantic modernism: Joyce, universal language, and political gesture. – Modernism/modernity, kd 24, nr 1, lk 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1353/mod.2017.0000
Jacob, Henry 1947. A Planned Auxiliary Language. London: Dennis Dobson Limited.
Jespersen, Otto 1921. Two Papers on International Language in English and Ido. 2. tr. London: Blades.
Kennedy, Hubert C. 1980. Peano: Life and Works of Giuseppe Peano. (Studies in the History of Modern Science 4.) Dordrecht–Boston–London: D. Reidel Publishing Company.
Kniele, Rupert 1889. Yebalsüp balid volapüka. Das erste Jahrzehnt der Weltsprache Volapük. Entstehung und Entwicklung von Volapuk in den einzelnen Jahren, nebst Uebersicht über den heutigen Stand der Weltsprache, Weltspracheklubs u. s. w. Überlingen: A. Schoy.
Kompozeso di la Komitato. – Progreso 1908, nr 3, lk 94.
Kosmoglott e li Liga de Nationes. – Kosmoglott 1922, nr 1, lk 3–5.
Krajewski, Markus 2014. Organizing a global idiom: Esperanto, Ido and the world auxiliary language movement before the First World War. – Information Beyond Borders: International Cultural and Intellectual Exchange in the Belle Époque. Toim W. Boyd Rayward. London: Routledge, lk 97–108.
Kulczycki, Emanuel 2008. Edward Sapir’s view about international auxiliary language. –Lingua ac Communitas, kd 18, lk 65–71.
Kuznecov, Sergej 2019. La Société „Kosmoglot(t)” pour la langue internationale (1916–1928). – Cahiers du Centre de Linguistique et des Sciences du Langage, nr 61, lk 202–269. https://doi.org/10.26034/la.cdclsl.2019.239
Künzli, Andreas 2009. Edgar von Wahl (1867–1948) aldonaj biografiaj notoj pri la familia deveno. – Международные языки в контексте евролингвистики и интерлингвистики. Internaciaj lingvoj en konteksto de eŭrolingvistiko kaj interlingvistiko. Материалы международной конференции (Тарту, 25–26.09.2009). (Interlinguistica Tartuensis 9.) Toim Aleksandr Duličenko. Tartu: Tartu Ülikool, lk 234–239.
Linzbach, Jakob 1921. Transcendent algebra. Ideografie matematical. Experiment de un lingue filosofic. Reval: Edition de autor.
Lumiste, Ülo; Võhandu, Leo 2007. Kolmest Eestis loodud tehiskeelest ja nende loojatest. – Akadeemia, nr 3, lk 482–510.
Mead, Lucia Ames 1924. The new need of an auxiliary language. – Journal of Education, kd 100, nr 7, lk 175–176. https://doi.org/10.1177/002205742410000704
Morris, Alice V. 1938. A language cut to fit the world. – The Rotarian, kd 53, nr 5, lk 36–39.
Mäeorg, Kalmer; Rahi-Tamm, Aigi 2016. Edgar von Wahl 1867–1948: keelemees ja poliitiline prohvet. – Ajalooline Ajakiri, nr 2, lk 295–311. https://doi.org/10.12697/AA.2016.2.08
Ojalo, Jaan 1987. Edgar de Wahl ja oktsidentaal. – Keel ja Kirjandus, nr 8, lk 508–509.
Phillipson, Robert 1999. International languages and international human rights. – Language: A Right and a Resource: Approaches to Linguistic Human Rights. Toim Miklós Kontra, Tibor Várady, R. Phillipson, Tove Skutnabb-Kangas. Budapest: Central University Press, lk 25–46.
Pigal, Engelbert 1927. Li ovre de Edgar de Wahl. – Cosmoglotta, nr 4, lk 64–72.
P. St. 1922. La Nekroforoj. – Esperanto Triumfonta 18. VI, nr 89, lk 3.
Rosenberger, Waldemar 1902. Kurzgefasste Geschichte der Internationalen Weltspracheakademie. – Wörterbuch der Neutralsprache (Idiom neutral): Neutral-Deutsch und Deutsch-Neutral. Toim W. Rosenberger. Leipzig: Verlag von E. Haberland, lk 289–306.
Schubert, Klaus 1989. Interlinguistics – its aims, its achievements, and its place in language science. – Interlinguistics: Aspects of the Science of Planned Languages. (Trends in Linguistics. Studies and Monographs 42.) Toim K. Schubert, Dan Maxwell. Berlin–New York: Mouton de Gruyter, lk 7–44. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110886115.7
Soosaar, Sven-Erik 2023. Hääbunud ja hääbuvatest keeltest. Põliskeelte aastakümme (2022–2032). – Oma Keel, nr 1, lk 23–28.
Spielmann, Sigmund 1888. Volapük-Almanach für 1888. Leipzig: Verlag von Eduard Heinrich Mayer.
Zamenhof 1888 = Aldono al la „Dua Libro de l’ Lingvo Internacia”. Varsovio: Dr. L. Samenhof.
Tark, Triin 2017. Maailmavaateline kokkupõrge ehk Esperanto eestimaine konkurent. – Sirp 20. X, lk 40.
Wahl, Edgar de 1908. A l redaction de l Progreso. – Progreso, nr 7, lk 468.
Wahl, Edgar de 1911. Limites e potentie-sfere de logica en interlingue. – Lingua Internationale, nr 2, lk 6–7.
Wahl, Edgar de 1925. Curt joya. – Kosmoglott, nr 6, lk 29–30.
Wahl, Edgar de 1927. Interlinguistic reminiscenties. – Cosmoglotta, nr 4, lk 54–64.
Wahl, Edgar de 1928. Personal remarca. – Cosmoglotta, nr 11, lk 179–180.
Wahl, Edgar de 1930. Interlinguistic reminiscenties II–III. – Cosmoglotta, nr 1, lk 11–18.
Wahl, Volker von 1995. Edgar Alexei Robert v. Wahl-Assick 11.8.1867–9.3.1948. – Erlebtes Livland. Die Familie v. Wahl 1795–1993. Toim Ena von Harpe. Weißenhorn: Anton H. Konrad Verlag, lk 241–244.
Waterlow, Sydney 1913. „Interlingua” and the problem of a universal language. – The Monist, kd 23, nr 4, lk 567–585. https://doi.org/10.5840/monist191323416