# Other than Love - What universal language should we speak? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 22, 2003, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-than-love-what-universal-language-should-we-speak/203121 "2003-09-22T16:31:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NightUK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c67d28/32.png) [@NightUK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NightUK)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-than-love-what-universal-language-should-we-speak/203121/1 "2003-09-22T16:31:35Z")
Im at work today (again) and we’ve been arguing about if the world was to sit down and choose a language we should all speak to breakdown our current communication flaws. What language would it be and why? I believe we should as speak espaniol. I choose this language because its simple and beautiful in sound. It simplifies words and is sufficient in its vocabulary. It doesnt over use words either like english. From an englishman. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-than-love-what-universal-language-should-we-speak/203121/2 "2003-09-22T17:10:30Z")
Top Five Universal Languages: 1. Love 2. Lust 3. Java 4. Hunger 5. Traffic-related Anger ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-than-love-what-universal-language-should-we-speak/203121/3 "2003-09-22T17:10:44Z")
Well, laughter and music are two of my votes. ---
**Author:** ![NightUK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c67d28/32.png) [@NightUK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NightUK)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-than-love-what-universal-language-should-we-speak/203121/4 "2003-09-22T17:31:44Z")
Haha like number 5 Giraffe. Think I’d choose number 1 language as War in that case. ---
**Author:** ![Ol\_Gaffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Ol\_Gaffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ol_Gaffer)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-than-love-what-universal-language-should-we-speak/203121/5 "2003-09-22T17:49:12Z")
I’ll go with **Math** as described by a professor of mine - “The language of the universe and the Queen of the sciences.” Incidentally, the professor was/is a linguist and the course was on the mathematical foundations of language. ---
**Author:** ![Dogface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@Dogface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogface)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-than-love-what-universal-language-should-we-speak/203121/6 "2003-09-22T18:21:42Z")
We should speak ut. uk is the perfect universal language. It only has one word: ut, and it is defined with perfect recursion. Therefore: ut There, that sums up everything perfectly. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-than-love-what-universal-language-should-we-speak/203121/7 "2003-09-22T18:54:09Z")
Zenster took my answer. Laughter and music are understood the world over. Then I’d throw in a little Russian just to mix things up a little. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-than-love-what-universal-language-should-we-speak/203121/8 "2003-09-22T20:09:53Z")
chu mi devus diri ghin…? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-than-love-what-universal-language-should-we-speak/203121/9 "2003-09-22T21:42:12Z")
**matt\_mcl** , mi preskaux ne volas diri ion ankaux… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-than-love-what-universal-language-should-we-speak/203121/10 "2003-09-22T22:30:07Z")
Ah, but _Bonvolu alsendi la pordiston, laushajne estas rano en mia bideo!_ In any case, I’d suggest “Polyglot Pidgin.” Ranchoth (Jai Guru Deva Om, koo koo ga joob) ---
**Author:** ![bluecanary](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bluecanary/32/3614_2.png) [@bluecanary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluecanary)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-than-love-what-universal-language-should-we-speak/203121/11 "2003-09-22T22:38:45Z")
UTTTTTT!!! ---
**Author:** ![misstee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@misstee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misstee)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-than-love-what-universal-language-should-we-speak/203121/12 "2003-09-25T20:37:56Z")
_I_ vote for pig latin. ---
**Author:** ![garius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@garius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garius)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2003, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-than-love-what-universal-language-should-we-speak/203121/13 "2003-09-26T09:43:14Z")
mes amis, there is only **one** universal language. **Jive** **dances off into the sunset** ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2003, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-than-love-what-universal-language-should-we-speak/203121/14 "2003-09-26T11:03:23Z")
English. So then I can be lazy and not have to learn a new language. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2003, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-than-love-what-universal-language-should-we-speak/203121/15 "2003-09-26T11:26:23Z")
Why, actually, **matt\_mcl, Sunspace and Ranchoth** , did Esperanto never make it? I have the impression, (but I could be wrong) that only highly educated, idealistic people in industrialized countries speak it, and only socially, for fun. Has there ever been a serious business transaction in Esperanto? ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2003, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-than-love-what-universal-language-should-we-speak/203121/16 "2003-09-26T11:35:11Z")
Mind reading. We should all take up mind reading and do away with pesky languages. ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2003, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-than-love-what-universal-language-should-we-speak/203121/17 "2003-09-26T12:45:21Z")
[Buffyt he Vampire Slayer] Guess I won’t be writing that book “How to win friends through telepathy.” [/BtVS] ---
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2003, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-than-love-what-universal-language-should-we-speak/203121/18 "2003-09-26T13:37:58Z")
Along the same lines as laughter, the smile is a universal symbol of happiness. I had always thought that nodding to imply agreement and shaking your head side to side to say no was universal, but apparently there are some cultures that have it in reverse. Just sitting at my desk and nodding while saying no in my head feels funny. ---
**Author:** ![j\_sum1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8baadc/32.png) [@j\_sum1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j_sum1)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2003, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-than-love-what-universal-language-should-we-speak/203121/19 "2003-09-26T14:58:40Z")
**Strut** It’s a simplified dialect of Ut with one less word in the vocabulary and a bit of body movement to show more subtle nuances of meaning. [sub] **Unfortunately it is very hard to type in Strut – which is why I reverted back to English.** [/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2003, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-than-love-what-universal-language-should-we-speak/203121/20 "2003-09-26T15:10:38Z")
**Maastricht** , I’ve read that Esperanto seems to be most commonly spoken in areas where the main language is not one of the widely-spoken international ones. I know that it is most commonly spoken in Eastern Europe (its homeland), Brazil, and China. Business transactions? Hmm. I don’t see a lot of them, but then I live in English-speaking North America, on eof the areas in the world where Esperanto is spoken _least_. There are publishers and magazines in Esperanto; there are international conferences in Esperanto; and I’ve seen ads from Bosch and the Star Alliance (airlines) in Esperanto. Bear in mind that the total speaker population is somewhere around 2 million; they are _very_ widely scattered, _and_ they are also being served in one or more national languages. This is unlike other small languages such as Slovenian or Icelandic, whose populations are mostly located in one geographical area, and can support local businesses. Businesses targeting Esperanto speakers can use low-overhead tactics and use the net and credit cards to speak to a worldwide population. If they want to use traditional more-expensive methods of advertising, they need to target concentrations of Esperanto speakers, such as at conferences. Esperanto, like English, is useful for travellers. There are organizations who refer travellers to Esperanto-speakers in various countries, who can help with lodging and information. But because the number of Esperanto travellers is so much less than Engl;ish, these services tend to be run on a volunteer basis. …OTOH, I have gotten advance-fee fraud spam in Esperanto, as well as offers to buy Brazilian religious tracts and Chinese aluminum. I guess it’s a real language after all. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-than-love-what-universal-language-should-we-speak/203121.md?page=2)