Maybe, but Mandarin / Chinese isn’t really used outside China. English has about 1.5 billion speakers, and over 1 billion of them speak it as a second language. Chinese has 1.1 billion speakers, but only 200 million speak it as a second language. It seems like the international langua franca is English.
Policies could change, and China could try to teach people Mandarin as part of the Belt and Roads initiative. But, right now, if you’re trying to do business in other countries or with foreigners in your country, English is the most useful language to know.
That’s not to say that future-English will necessarily be too similar to current English. I’m sure the more it spreads, the more it will change.
But really, isn’t the “Franca” part from the Frankish language used in West Germany / Northern France / Benelux? Apparently the Byzantines called all Western Europeans “Franks” and the Lingua Franca was the simplified Italian / Spanish language with many Greek, Slavic, Arabic and Turkish loan words used for trade around the Carribean. So, it’s more “English is the European Language” or maybe “English is the language to use with Europeans”.
Maybe, but Mandarin / Chinese isn’t really used outside China. English has about 1.5 billion speakers, and over 1 billion of them speak it as a second language. Chinese has 1.1 billion speakers, but only 200 million speak it as a second language. It seems like the international langua franca is English.
Policies could change, and China could try to teach people Mandarin as part of the Belt and Roads initiative. But, right now, if you’re trying to do business in other countries or with foreigners in your country, English is the most useful language to know.
That’s not to say that future-English will necessarily be too similar to current English. I’m sure the more it spreads, the more it will change.
My personal favourite is the term lingua franca itself from when everyone (important) spoke French.
As in English is the lingua franca.
Latin for (roughly) English is the French.
A Latin term used in English to indicate French.
But really, isn’t the “Franca” part from the Frankish language used in West Germany / Northern France / Benelux? Apparently the Byzantines called all Western Europeans “Franks” and the Lingua Franca was the simplified Italian / Spanish language with many Greek, Slavic, Arabic and Turkish loan words used for trade around the Carribean. So, it’s more “English is the European Language” or maybe “English is the language to use with Europeans”.
I was hoping someone would correct me!
I knew that translating Franca as French was anachronistic but didn’t know where to start.
I’d forgotten about the Franks.
There’s a Brexit joke in there somewhere.
Definitely, but I think the Brexiteers get a last laugh because AFAIK EU business is still done in English.
The lingua franca per se.