"The Basic English-man"

New Zealand Listener, Volume 11, Issue 278, 20 October 1944, Page 10

"The Basic English-man"

(Written tor "The Listener’ by |

GRAHAM

ENTING

ta gave to man his larynx, and God gave to man his lungs, Then left him to employ them in a hundred thousand tongues. There evolved a different language for each little tribe and nation, Thus causing complications in their common conversation, Which have caused extreme confusion, ever since the world beganAt least until the advent of the Basic English-man. HOUGH in search of bonds of 5 aeaed many men who vainly see Think Essential Esperanto is inadequate and weak, Which has prompted certain scholars to assert that we should teach Mankind the simple basis of our normal English speech, Which would make the common language of each nation, race and clan, The few familiar phrases of the Basic En§glish-man. I BELIEVE in distant Bangkok men converse with greatest ease, In softly-sounded syllables of Simple Siamese, Ceylon, of course, has Cingalese and Holland Double-Dutch But still I feel I’d never like these foreign lingos much, And I'd hate to speak in Spanish or the jargon of Japan, Thank Heaven I was born and bred a Basic English-man! CITIZEN of Cherbourg’s sure to feel an awful wrench, Forsaking finer phrases of his Fundamental French, While protests of Parisians will be both loud and long. Which proves, of course, that forty million Frenchmen CAN be 5 So many nations will resist the Basic English sway, . And certain peoples like the Kurds are sure to get their way. NHABITANTS of Ireland find it very hard to curse, And keep within the boundaries of Elementary Erse, While Rudimentary Russian has its ; pitfalls by the yard, ~ Though taken in the proper steppes it really isn’t hard. How I'd hate to swear in Swedish or to curse in Catalan. Thank Heaven I was born and bred a Basic En§glish-man!