Spokil
Encyclopedia
Spokil is a constructed language
, created by the Frenchman Adolphe Nicolas.
During the 1880s, the most popular international auxiliary language
was undeniably Volapük
. However, after a brief period of overwhelming success, rivalry on the part of the more practical and less complicated Esperanto
(published in 1887) led to a rapid decline of the Volapük movement. Many who had previously supported Volapük switched to the Esperanto camp, while others tried their best to improve or reform Volapük itself. Partially due to the inflexible attitude of Johann Martin Schleyer
, the creator of Volapük, himself, this led to several schisms in the Volapük movement. As a result, a number of so-called "Volapükids" emerged, most notably Idiom Neutral
, first published in 1902, and Spokil.
Spokil was created by the French ship doctor from La Bourboule
, Adolphe Charles Antoine Marie Nicolas (1833-?). A former partisan of Volapük, he started working on Spokil in 1890 (some sources mention 1887 instead). In 1904, he published a book about it: Spokil. Language internationale. Grammaire, exercise, les deux dictionnaires. At a conference in Paris, held in June 1907, Nicolas was allowed to defend his language in person; among the other languages discussed at the conference were Parla
, Bolak
(La Language Bleue), Idiom Neutral
, and Esperanto. At the same meeting, Ido
was first presented. Spokil would never gain much support, though, and nowadays is largely forgotten.
Like Volapük, Spokil is most often qualified as an a priori
/a posteriori hybrid. Some authors, including Nicolas himself, consider it a purely a priori language.
:
The numbers 1-10:
Constructed language
A planned or constructed language—known colloquially as a conlang—is a language whose phonology, grammar, and/or vocabulary has been consciously devised by an individual or group, instead of having evolved naturally...
, created by the Frenchman Adolphe Nicolas.
During the 1880s, the most popular international auxiliary language
International auxiliary language
An international auxiliary language or interlanguage is a language meant for communication between people from different nations who do not share a common native language...
was undeniably Volapük
Volapük
Volapük is a constructed language, created in 1879–1880 by Johann Martin Schleyer, a Roman Catholic priest in Baden, Germany. Schleyer felt that God had told him in a dream to create an international language. Volapük conventions took place in 1884 , 1887 and 1889 . The first two conventions used...
. However, after a brief period of overwhelming success, rivalry on the part of the more practical and less complicated Esperanto
Esperanto
is the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Its name derives from Doktoro Esperanto , the pseudonym under which L. L. Zamenhof published the first book detailing Esperanto, the Unua Libro, in 1887...
(published in 1887) led to a rapid decline of the Volapük movement. Many who had previously supported Volapük switched to the Esperanto camp, while others tried their best to improve or reform Volapük itself. Partially due to the inflexible attitude of Johann Martin Schleyer
Johann Martin Schleyer
Martin Schleyer was a German Catholic priest who invented the constructed language Volapük. His official name was "Martin Schleyer"; he added the name "Johann" unofficially....
, the creator of Volapük, himself, this led to several schisms in the Volapük movement. As a result, a number of so-called "Volapükids" emerged, most notably Idiom Neutral
Idiom Neutral
Idiom Neutral is an international auxiliary language, published in 1902 by the International Academy of the Universal Language under the leadership of Waldemar Rosenberger, a St...
, first published in 1902, and Spokil.
Spokil was created by the French ship doctor from La Bourboule
La Bourboule
La Bourboule is commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France.-References:*...
, Adolphe Charles Antoine Marie Nicolas (1833-?). A former partisan of Volapük, he started working on Spokil in 1890 (some sources mention 1887 instead). In 1904, he published a book about it: Spokil. Language internationale. Grammaire, exercise, les deux dictionnaires. At a conference in Paris, held in June 1907, Nicolas was allowed to defend his language in person; among the other languages discussed at the conference were Parla
Parla
Parla is a municipality of the Madrid Metropolitan Area, Spain. It is located in the southern part of the autonomous community, approximately 20 km from the capital, Madrid. , it has a population of 120,182.- History :- Origins :...
, Bolak
Bolak (Blue Language)
Bolak is a constructed language that was invented by Léon Bollack. The name of the language means both `blue language' and `ingenious creation' in the language itself.-History:...
(La Language Bleue), Idiom Neutral
Idiom Neutral
Idiom Neutral is an international auxiliary language, published in 1902 by the International Academy of the Universal Language under the leadership of Waldemar Rosenberger, a St...
, and Esperanto. At the same meeting, Ido
Ido
Ido is a constructed language created with the goal of becoming a universal second language for speakers of different linguistic backgrounds as a language easier to learn than ethnic languages...
was first presented. Spokil would never gain much support, though, and nowadays is largely forgotten.
Like Volapük, Spokil is most often qualified as an a priori
A priori (languages)
An a priori language is any constructed language whose vocabulary is not based on existing languages, unlike a posteriori constructed languages. Examples of a priori languages include Ro, Solresol, Mirad, Klingon, and Na'vi...
/a posteriori hybrid. Some authors, including Nicolas himself, consider it a purely a priori language.
Text samples
The Lord's PrayerLord's Prayer
The Lord's Prayer is a central prayer in Christianity. In the New Testament of the Christian Bible, it appears in two forms: in the Gospel of Matthew as part of the discourse on ostentation in the Sermon on the Mount, and in the Gospel of Luke, which records Jesus being approached by "one of his...
:
Mael nio, kui vai o les zeal;
Aepseno lezai tio mita.
Veze lezai tio tsaeleda.
Feleno lezai tio bela,
uti o zeal itu o geol.
Demai da ni itu ebilai da gelenelas nio.
E no apidai ni o fismena.
Stu nibai ni le sfail.
The numbers 1-10:
ba, ge, di, vo, mu, fa, te, ki, po, nu.