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Sydney Language Festival 2015

Lingualumina
Alan R. Libert, University of Newcastle
I. Introduction
Lingualumina is an a priori artificial language:1
The primary objects of this Language are two-fold -- International and Philosophical.
First, to afford a more easy and perspicuous mode of International communication than any
that has hitherto existed, -- to furnish a vehicle of expression which, being based on the primary
elements of logical and scientific thought, shall be perfectly free from the innumerable anomalies
and traditional conventionalities which beset existing languages, -- and from that perplexing
vagueness of definition, and multiplicity of meaning by which nearly every word is beclouded
and encumbered.
Secondly, it is proposed to offer this Language as a more fitting vehicle of Philosophic and
Scientific conception, record, and expression,-- replacing many of the lingering barbarisms
which still obtrude themselves into our scientific nomenclatures by terms more fitting the
present advanced state of positive knowledge -- less whimsical and arbitrary -- and more
definitely expressive of fundamental truths.
2. To attain these important objects, it is proposed to discard, in the construction of a Scientific
Language, all the etymons as well as grammatical structures and canons of existing tongues.
[]
3. Nothing remains, therefore, but to make a fresh start from the beginning,-- to draw out
the plan of a Language entirely new; to create its fundamental Roots, and combine them in all
their multiplicity of requisite combinations.
4. The Principles adopted as the substantial foundation of this mighty work are, Number,
Resemblace, Antithesis, Generalization, and Analysis (Dyer 1875:1-2)
II. Writing System
It should be remarked that it is certainly not intended that the New Language should be written and
printed in the extremely awkward, lengthy, and cumbrous manner here employed. The method has
been entirely necessitated by the phonetic imperfections of our existing alphabet, and the difficulty,
or rather impossibility of otherwise conveying an unmistakable impression of quantity and
pronunciation. The author has invented a Phonetic Writing Alphabet of remarkable brevity,
simplicity, and ease, for the writing of the Lingualumina, but which it was impossible to give in
this work, as it will require specially engraved plates. (Dyer 1875:31)
III. Word Classes
A. Transcendentals
6. These words are so names by reason of their general and abstract nature; transcending in
these qualitities They designate such general notions as Time, Space, Motion, Power, Existence,
Occupancy, Order, Mutation, Quantity, Quality, Relation, &c., &c. They all consist of
monosyllables only Their number amounts to 450. []
8. The mode universally adopted to denote opposite meaning is the reversal of the word, thus:-Ree = cause, Eer = effect, Roo = tendency, Oor = indifference
9. All the words of this class which stand for the same class of abstract ideas, will possess
the same consonant, either beginning or ending the monosyllable word; thus -1 Emphasis (with bold letters) in quotations is mine; italics are in the original.

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Lee = linear extension
L = angular extension
L = areal extension or area
L = volume
Loo = superficial extension
Lur = space in general
so that L is taken as the generic representative of Space and its relations, and the particular vowel
which accompanies it defines what that special relation is. (Dyer 1875:2)
Verbs can be built from transcendentals:
The next modification of Transcendentals we have to consider is that of Actionals, commonly and
absurdly called Verbs. Dyer 1875:7)
(1)

Lee = extension
Lee-run = to draw out to effect extension [Run action]
Lee-ru = to undergo extension [Urr- susception]
Lee-bu = to be in a state of extn. [Bur state or condition]
Lee-su -- to extend or reach [Sur being or existence] (Dyer 1875:7)
almost any word may be converted into an Actional and thus a rich and enormous variety of this
class of words be most readily formed and acquired. All the repulsive and perplexing anomalies
of Verbs Irregular, Defective, and Deponent will be cleared away (Dyer 1875:8)

Adjectives can also be built from built from transcendentals, e.g. Sur existence, Sur-vl/vu real
Adverbs can also be built from built from transcendentals, e.g.Mar greatness Mar-kwu greatly (Kwur
manner)
B. Arithmologues
Innu one, Ennu two, Annu three, Onnu four Kol-un-j-u 348,000,000
C. Metronyms
This class of words comprises all those which are founded on numerical basis, and will be
used to designate objects according to their quantitative relations or ascertained measurements/
50. These include, among others,-1. The name of Geographical Points, Tracts, and Regions.
2. The names of Planets, Stars, Star-groups, Nebulae, and Constellations.
3. The names of Chemical Substances, -- elementary and compound.
4. The names of Persons. (Dyer 1875:14)
The names of Places and of Geographical Tracts will be based on their Latitude and Longitude, and will consist
of two significant syllables, in which the latitude will be expressed by the former, and the longitude by the
latter. (Dyer 1875:15)
E.g. Finn-a-pl-u 41 N, 108 E,Vinnu-bl-u 41 S, 108 W
All places, geographically regardable as points, are the primary subjects to be named by their
method;-- Capes, Inlets, mouths of Harbours, Cities, Mountain peaks, or Summits -- as well as the
Sources, Mouths, and Confluences of Rivers, Islands, Lakes, and Inland Seas will be named from
their mean latitude and longitude [] Groups or clusters of islands will be designated from the
name of their Chief Island; or if about of a size, from the mean latitude and longitude of the group
or cluster. Gulfs and Bays will be named from the like geographical position of their most inland
point. (Dyer 1875:16)

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By this means the learning of Georgraphy would be facilitated a hundred-fold; for at the barest
mention of any place, tract, or region, we should by its very name alone have its exact position on
the Globe stereotyped on the brain for ever. (Dyer 1875:16)
Political divisions will receive the names respectively of their seats of Government or Chief Towns (Dyer
1875:16)
72. The next and last application of the Metronym is the naming of Persons. Here, in like
manner, the existing chaos of unmeaning and often grotesque and ridiculous names, will be
superseded -- or rather (at first) supplemented by a rational name-list of a mnemonic and instructive
character.
73. Thus, in the case of a living person, the arithmologue will express the year, and if desired,
the month of their birth. In a person deceased the name will consist of two parts, the first
expressing the year of their birth, and the second their Age at death Then a person born in the
year 1810, will be named, as a matter of course, Ileem-u; in 1820, Ilm- (Dyer 1875:19)
D. Genonyms
This class of words is so called from their expressing the Genus to which any species belongs. They may
otherwise, and with equal fitness, be termed Class-Names. (Dyer 1875:20)
E.g. L-beem-u Mammalia, L-bm-u Birds, L-bamm-u Reptiles
E. Sententials
This class of words receives its name from the fact that no sentence can be formed without them;
and deprived of them, would cease to exist. A Sentential, therefore, is a sentence-former, and its
essential function is either that of Affirmation, Denial, Equiry, Solicitation, or Command. (Dyer
1875:26)
They seem to be copulas
(2)

Present Incomplete
Nitt-u I am
Nett-u thou art
Natt-u he/she is
Nott-u it (concrete) is
Nt-u it (abstract) is

Need-u we are
Nd-u ye are
Nard-u they are
Nord-u they (con.) are
Nd-u they (abs.) are (Dyer 1875:26)

There is one feature of vast importance in this special department of the Lingualumina, which will
distinguish the language for exactness and perspicuity above all the languages of the earth. I
refer to the expression of the Personal Pronouns. [] It is with regard to the Plurals that I wish to
speak -- namely, the plurals we and you. These, in all existing languages, are extremely vague and
ambiguous. (Dyer 1875:30)
(3)
1. We = thou and I
2. We = he (or she) and I
3. We = ye and I
4. We = they and I
5. We = I, thou and he
6. We = they, thou, and I
7. We = ye, I, and he
8. We = ye, they, and I
9. We = a body of people
10. We = (in the last sense) and thou

Pronoun
In-enz-u
In-anz-u
In-z-u
In-arz-u
Azz-nz-u
Arz-nz-u
Az-n-z-u
Arz-n-z-u
Eez-u
Enz-un-eez-u

Incomplete Present Sentential

Nirr-un-ett-u
Nrr-un-att-u
Nirr-un-d-u
Nirr-un-d
Narr-iett-u
Nerr-rd-u
N-arr-un-d-u
Narn-d-u
Need-u
Nerr-un-eed-u

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11. We = we and ye
12. We = we, ye, and they
(Dyer 1875:30, with minor changes)
IV. Sample sentences (Dyer 1875:32)

Ee-un-z-u
Arn-a-uneez-u

Nee-un-du
Narn--un-d-u

(4a) Nl un-urz-u-m? Who is he?

(4b) Zinn-u-peen-u My associate
(5a) Need-u fur-mu? Where are we?
(5b) Fee-ku ln-u In a pit
V. Opinions of Lingualumina
Anonymous review of Dyer (1889) in Lucifer, Vol. IV, No. 24:526):
Into the source of Mr. Dyers knowledge we need not enquire. Suffice it to say that a professional
philologist will consider him as a ripe scholar. He probably, like many other, good men before his
time, is writing a few hundred years in advance of the instruction of his audience. This is like the
ladys speech in Sheridans play, very much to the credit of his charity, if not of his judgment. Still,
he has attempted a teaching which is absolutely impossible to be accepted by the vulgar, and we
must remember that it is the vulgar who form the majority of the speakers of any language. []
Lingua Lumina is as inflectional as the most ardent advocate of Southern European languages
may desire, and appears to be formed on a clear plan. There is much even for the trained philologist
to learn in the pamphlet, which puts some of the difficult points of the philology of the future in a
nutshell. The proposed scheme will probably be adopted long before Volapk, which was
founded on far less philosophical principles. We are able to recognize in this work, what is really
likely to be a strong plant in the philology of the future. It is intelligibly and well written, and
will evoke thought, and stimulate enquiry into some of the puzzles connected with word-knowledge
in the future.
Couturat and Leau (1903:79):
Comme on le voit, ce systme soi-disant logique est le comble de larbitraire, de la fantasie et de
lirrgularit. Il a en outre un dfaut qui tient la nationalit de lauteur: jamais un Anglais ne
pourra concevoir une phontique correcte et internationale, cause de la dtestable prononciation
laquelle sa langue lhabitue. Quoi de plus absurde que de prononcer une lettre simple i comme 2
voyelles (a), et de rendre un son simple i par 2 lettres (ea, ee)?
Monnerot-Dumaine (1960:180): Vocabulaire absolument arbitraire. Conjugaisons arbitraires, fantaisistes,
irrgulires.
References
Couturat, L. and L. Leau (1903) Histoire de la langue universelle. Librairie Hachette et Cie, Paris.
Dyer, F. W. (1875) The Lingualumina or Language of Light: A Simple, Self-Evident, Easy, and Philosophical
Mode of International Communication between All the Civilised Nations of the Earth. Industrial Press, London.
Dyer, F. W. (1889) The Lingualumina or Language of Light:A Philosophical Language for International
Communication. Part I. General and Introductory. Mark H. Judge, London.
Dyer, F. W. (1893) The Lingualumina or Languageof Light; A New Vehicle of Scientific and Philosophical
Expression. Part II: The Genonyms. Waterloo and Sons Limited, London.

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Monnerot-Dumaine, M. (1960) Prcis dinterlinguistique gnrale et spciale. Librairie Maloine, Paris.