Nüdug

Introduction

Volapük: valemapük fütüra neai ödabinöla.

Volapük: the universal language of a future that would never be.

Sekü levolut dustodik vol äcenon vifikumo ka föro büo. Lektin, trenavegs, stemanafs e ⸗vabs, fotograf äsi yumätameds nulik as telegraf, pot e gasedem pebüköl staböfo äflunons sogädi. Levalidaceds bolitik nuliks soäs netätim, liberim e sogädim ävedons mufs sogädik nämädiks. Kodü glof splodöfik täva, büsida e kevoba bevünetik äsi danädu valiks mögs kaenavik nuliks kosäd bevünetik ä bevükulivik ävedom säkäds veütik. Kred, das valikos süpiko binon-la mögik, noe äkodedon spetis legretik, abi leigüpo nuifi e nefümi leigiko legretiki. No mögos binon süpädik, das atos äflunon i püki. Mödikans äkredons, das konflits vü nets päkodons fa utos, das netäts difik no äkanons suemön odis. Äkredoy, das pük balugik, kobädik e neudik pro vol valik ökanonöv tuvedön säkädi at. After the Industrial Revolution, the world changed more rapidly than ever before. Electricity, railroads, steamships, telegraphy, postal services and printed mass media had a deep impact on society. New ideologies like nationalism, liberalism and socialism became powerful social movements. International and intercultural communication became a serious issue, prompted by an explosive growth of international travel, cooperation and commerce, and facilitated by new technologies. The belief that anything had suddenly become possible caused great expectations, but, unsurprisingly, it also caused uncertainty and instability. Both had their impact on language, too. Many conflicts between nations, it was believed, were caused by the fact that they could not understand each other. A simple, common and neutral language for all mankind could fix that.

Menefe bal püki bal!

One language for one mankind
Ta pödaglun at pädan katulik Badänik: ‚Johann Martin Schleyer’ (1831–1912) ädatikom yufapüki mekavik pro nets valik geböfiki ün yel: 1879, penemöli: „Volapük”. Pük at älabon gramati rigik kobioklebiki labü deklinafoms fol (soäs in Deutänapük e Vöna⸗Grikänapük) e vödastoki pedütütöl cifiko Linglänapüke ed, in mafäd miedöfikum, i Deutänapüke, Fransänapüke e latine, ab mödadilo pölatülöli ä sekü atos töbo sevadoviki. Against this background, Johann Martin Schleyer (1831–1912), a Catholic priest in Baden, Germany, created an artificial auxiliary language he named Volapük (“World Language”) in 1879. It had an agglutinating a priori grammar with four grammatical cases (the same as German and Ancient Greek) and a vocabulary that was mostly taken from English, to a lesser degree also German, French and Latin, but most of it heavily distorted and therefore barely recognisable.

Sülöpikam e päridikam Volapüka

Rise and fall of Volapük
Volapük ädunon vikodagoli plödakösömik da vol. Ünü tüp läs degyel tumats Volapükaklubas ädabinons (ans kelas älabons tumatis limanas), periodapenäts mödik, tidabuks, gramats e vödabuks in püks difik äpubons, e tidans pilonöfüköl ti mils, äsi tummilats spikans e lärnans da vol valik ädabinons. So Volapük ävedon mekavapük balid labü sökanef vemik. Volapük took the world by storm, and within less than a decade, there were hundreds of Volapük clubs (some of them with hundreds of members), Volapük periodicals, textbooks, grammars and dictionaries in various languages appeared, almost a thousand certified teachers and about one million speakers and learners across the whole world. Thus, it became the first constructed language ever to gain a substantial following.
Kodü vif plödakösömik benoseka onik, pük ye no älabon mögodi ad madikön büiko. Plons mödik dabinons tefü komplit Volapüka e nendulogamov onik, ab cenamobs pänezepons seväriko fa el ‚Schleyer’ it, kel äcedom Volapüki dalabi okik. Sek äbinon, das pük e muf äseafalons ini palets difik, kodü kelos läkiko slit vü Kadäm Volapüka ed el ‚Schleyer’ ädavedon ün 1889. Demü atos dunans lelogädik äprimons ad mobön pükis lönik u ädeflekons okis valiko de tikamagod püka bevünetik. Benosek yufapüka nulik, pemoböla ün 1887 fa ‚Ludwig Zamenhof’ ed ösevädöla as ‚Esperanto’, äsnilon fäti Volapüka. Do el ‚Schleyer’ äfövom ad votükön Volapüki jü fin lifa oka, Volapükamuf, büo so masatik, timü deadam omik ün 1912 ismalikon lü nedabin zeik. Because of the extraordinary speed of its success, however, the language was not given a chance to ripen first. There were many complaints about its complexity and lack of transparency, but change proposals were categorically vetoed by Schleyer himself, who considered Volapük his property. As a result, both the language and its movement fell apart into factions, which ultimately led to a rift between the Volapük Academy and Schleyer in 1889. Against this background, prominent activists started proposing their own languages ("Volapükids") or gave up on the idea of an international language altogether. The success of a new language, proposed in 1887 by Ludwig Zamenhof and later known as Esperanto, sealed the fate of Volapük. Although Schleyer has continued tweaking Volapük till the very end of his life, the once massive Volapük movement had been reduced to virtual nothingness by the time of his death in 1912.

Dönulifikam

Revival
Too pük ejonülon oki asä küpädiko sufidik ta dadead. Dü degyel telid el ‚Arie de Jong’: Nedänan, kel iblebon slopan fiedik Volapüka, äbevobom votastidi staböfik püka, kel äfümükon fa sökan ela ‚Schleyer’ as cifal mufa ün 1934. Primü degyel kilid el ‚De Jong’ äpübom gramati „Volapüka Perevidöl” ü "Volapüka Nulik” äsi vödabuki gretik pro Deutänapükans e tidabuk pro Nedänapükans. Ün yel: 1932 ädönujäfidükom i Volapükaklubi valemik Nedänik (pifünöl ün 1890) ed ästabom periodapenäti almulik: Volapükagased pro Nedänapükans, kel öpubon jü 1963. Ettimo Volapükakobäd ästadon mödiküno in Nedän e Deutän. Nevertheless, the language has proven itself to be remarkably resistant to extinction. During the 1920s Arie de Jong, a Dutchman who had remained faithful to Volapük, worked on a thorough reform of the language, which was ratified 1934 by Schleyer’s successor as cifal ("big boss") of the movement. In the early 1930s, De Jong published a large German-Volapük dictionary, a grammar of his “Volapük Perevidöl” (Revised Volapük) or “Volapük Nulik” (New Volapük), and a textbook in Dutch. In 1932, he also revived the Volapükaklub valemik Nedänik (founded in 1890) and established a monthly magazine, the Volapükagased pro Nedänapükans, which would appear from 1932 till 1963. At the time, the Volapük community was concentrated mostly in the Netherlands and Germany.
Liedö! dönolifikam at vemo pästöpädon fa guver netasogädimik in Deutän. Mufs valik pro valemapük päproibons ün 1935, ed otos äjenon in Nedän timü koup Deutänik. Do püb ela „Volapükagased pro Nedänapükans” äfövon pos krig, muf ädadeadon pianiko. Nüm lätikün äpubon ün 1963. Sadly, this revival was seriously hampered by the nazi government in Germany. All international language movements were forbidden in 1935, and the same happened in the Netherlands during the German occupation. Although the publication of the Volapükagased pro Nedänapükans was resumed after the war, the movement died out slowly. The last issue was published in 1963.

Volapük adelo

Volapük today
Nutimo nek – igo no Volapükans it – cedon, das Volapük nog binon mög fefik ad jonidön as valemapük. Too Volapük ai elabon slopanagrupi smalik ab laidiki, kel vilon komipön pro dabin nenropik ona. Rets pülik mufi küpädiko vifiko elönedikons lü mögs timäda digitik. Maters mödik se gerot literatik liegik ona pekonvertons ini fom leäktronik ä pesivovükons lüloganefe, ab i mater nulik päpenons, keninükamü poedots, titodems e vödabuks. Ün 1989 periodapenät nulik pästabon, rigiko Sirkülapenäd e latikumo Vög Volapüka penemöl, labü nuns, tradutods e vobots rigik, e sis del primik nul nonik pebeiädon. Ün 2003 el ‚Wikipedia’ („Vükiped”) Volapükik pestabon. Zuo Volapük logädon klüliko pö medäds sogädik, keninükamü grup pö ‚Facebook’ labü limans plu lultum. Nowadays, nobody —not even the Volapükists themselves— considers Volapük a serious candidate for a universal language anymore. Nevertheless, Volapük has always had a small but persistent following of people willing to fight for its continued existence. The tiny remnants of the movement have been remarkably swift in adapting to the possibilities of the digital era. Lots of materials from its rich literary heritage were digitised and made available to the public, but new materials were written as well, including poetry, language courses and dictionaries. In 1989, a new monthly magazine was established, originally named Sirkülapenäd (“circular letter”) and later renamed Vög Volapüka (“The Voice of Volapük”), featuring information, translations and original work, which since the day of its inception has never skipped a single month. In 2003 a Volapük edition of Wikipedia (“Vükiped”) was established. In addition, Volapük has a good presence on social media, including a Facebook group with currently over 500 members.

Kludo: kikodo-li?

So why?
Volapük binon lefat mekavapükas valik. Zeils bolitik ona peklemons sis lunüp, ab nek kanon noön veüti onik in jenotem bevüpükava. Sperantans e vötikans suvo ebesmilons Volapüki demü nesuemov lölöfik utanes, kels no elärnons oni duniko, ab ebo dins at vedükons oni so leteiki. As sam tonats: ä, ö ed ü — äkoföls u igo ähetöls fa mödikans, ab nämafuliko äjelodöls fa el ‚Schleyer’, kel äblöfädom, das pük nen ons binonöv „äs magod pekölöl nen violät, braun, ged u redül” — nutimo binons truf onik. Sotefä Volapük no plu binon-la yufapük bevünetik, nutimo kanoy palecedön as lekanot: gerot kulivik leteik e spiritik labü jenotem jänälik ä kein patädik, kel nestipo meriton ad lailifön ä pakälön. Volapük is the grandfather of all constructed languages. Even though its political goals have been abandoned a long time ago, its importance in the history of interlinguistics is indisputable. Volapük has often been ridiculed by Esperantists and others for its complete lack of intelligibility to anyone who hasn’t actively learned it, but it is precisely these things that make it unique. For example, the letters ä, ö and ü, once mocked and even hated by many but vigorously defended by Schleyer, who argued that a language without them would be “like a coloured picture without violet, brown, grey or rose”, are now Volapük’s trump card. Insofar as Volapük is not an international auxiliary language anymore, it can now be considered a work of art: a unique, ingenious piece of cultural heritage with a fascinating history and a quirky charm, by all means deserving to be kept alive and cherished.
Volapük, as fomäd patedik ela ‚belle époque’, leduton lü famül ot as lutanafs, el ‚art nouveau’, hiel ‚Nikola Tesla’, hiel ‚Jules Verne’ e hiel ‚Sherlock Holmes’. Dekömon de period progeda kaenavik, spetas gretik e drimamagotas sovadik. No süpädos, das ottimo el ‚science fiction’ pämoton. Lio mens finü tumyel XIXid äfomälonsöv fütüri? E kis äbinonöv lönedikum lü tikods somik ka Volapük benosekiko bitiköl as lepük in kosäd bevünetik? Dido Volapük labü binod pladätemik vönädavögädik e gerafov cifalas nenropik sis el ‚Schleyer’ it, lönedon süperiko in magod at. Klu binon leigätod täläktik dialik ela ‚steampunk’! Ibo Volapük binon äs stemavab se tumyel XIXid: nek vilon gebön oni in dakosäd aldelik su toodaleveg nutimik, ab kin no juiton-la vegami tü tims lunomik? Volapük, being a typical product of La Belle Époque, belongs to the same family as airships, art nouveau, Nikola Tesla, Jules Verne and Sherlock Holmes. It stems from a period of technological progress, great expectations and wild fantasies. Unsurprisingly, science fiction was born in the same period. How did people in the late 19th century picture the future? And what would more fitting in such a setting than Volapük successfully serving as THE language for international communication? Indeed, Volapük, with its old-fashioned hierarchical structrure and its unbroken line of cifals that goes back to Schleyer himself, fits the image perfectly, making it the ultimate intellectual equivalent of steampunk! Because Volapük is like a steampowered vehicle from the 19th century: nobody would want to use it for daily traffic on a modern motorway, but who wouldn’t enjoy a ride every once in while?