Latin replaced??

[Jacques Melot]

=A0Le 26/02/99, =E0 15:26 -0000, nous recevions de JOSEPH E. LAFERRIERE :

>Mon cher collegue Dr. Melot,
>   Thank you very kindly for your note. Please forgive
>me for replying in English, but I want to be certain the
>Americans on the list can read this.


   Comme moi, pendant un certain temps, qui ne pouvais pas lire le tchequ=
e
de Velenovsky, jusqu'au jours ou j'ai compris que l'effort en valait la
peine...


>   Please explain the proposal to which you refer
>concerning the conference in St. Louis. I am not
>informed as to what is on the agenda there. From what
>you say, it sounds as if someone is proposing replacing
>Latin with English as the official language of botany.
>Please give more details.


   John McNeill s'en est aimablement charge depuis.

   Meilleures salutations,

   Jacques Melot


>I would oppose such a
>misguided proposal. The question of which language
>to use was decided in favor of Latin decades ago.
>I see no reason to reopen the question.
>   Americans  in general not only do not study foreign
>languages, but also do not study very much history.
>Question: how long has American English been dominant
>on the world linguistic scene? Answer: 54 years, since
>1945. That is an extremely short time in world history.
>How long will it remain dominant? Noone can
>anser that, but my prediction is that within another
>50 years, Spanish, Arabic, and Chinese (possibly also
>Russian and Portugese) will be challenging
>English for supremacy. This prediction is based on
>history and economics rather than on any personal
>preference of mine. We need something more permanent,
>and Latin works fine.
>
>--
>Dr. Joseph E. Laferriere
>"Computito ergo sum ...  I link therefore I am."

--------------------------------------------------------------
Jan Bosselaers
"Dochterland", R. novarumlaan 2
B-2340 Beerse, Belgium                       tel 32-14-615896
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"I live that long because I do not die"
Louise De Ruyver, oldest Belgian (110)

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