Universal languages
One of our discussions at our annual 4th of July family gathering at Compass Lake this year was about languages. Specifically, we were sitting around the table after dinner talking about what languages some had taken in school.
Two of my grandchildren have taken multiple years of Latin. Others had taken German and Spanish. I took three years of Spanish, with remarkably little to show for it 50 years later.
Then someone asked for the name of the “universal language.” Several people said they had seen the question on Jeopardy or in a crossword puzzle. A few had the answer on the tip of their tongue, but most had no idea.
In fact, there are several possible answers. Globally, English has become the dominant language in many settings. It is the standard language for international trade and aviation, a primary working language of the United Nations and the European Union, and the most widely learned second language in the world.
In the late 19th century, there were several efforts to create a truly universal, politically neutral language — one that would be easier to learn and free from the cultural divisions that often favor particular nations. The answer to the original question was Esperanto, the most successful constructed language, though it was never widely adopted.
Personally, I have always thought music makes a strong case as a universal language. It communicates emotion powerfully, and like art, it can express ideas and tell stories across cultural and spoken-language barriers.
Mathematics is often seen as a universal language because its logic, numbers, and geometric principles apply across cultures and spoken languages. Programming languages also serve as tools used around the world.
After watching Wimbledon tennis today and the U.S. vs. Belgium soccer match, I would add that sports, too, can be a universal language. Tennis, for example, follows the same rules and terminology worldwide, allowing nations to compete peacefully regardless of their geopolitical standing.
Perhaps the Team USA run in the World Cup, largely in front of a nation that is fixated on another type of football, is the best and certainly the most current illustration of sports as a bridge and type of universal language. Billions of people around the world will watch the 2026 World Cup matches.
The strongest example of soccer’s universal appeal may have been at our Compass Lake cottage, where someone watched every live match over the long holiday weekend. Before this year, a soccer game may never have been watched there at all.
More importantly, whenever there was a break from the water, you could look across the yard and see family members ages three to 66 playing some kind of sport, almost always soccer, or fútbol.
Team USA lost 4-1 in a difficult match dominated by Belgium. Still, the Americans’ inspired run may have produced a larger victory for soccer itself. Over the past several weeks, the United States seemed to discover the passion that draws billions of people around the world to the sport, making soccer a powerful universal language of its own.
Dan Ponder can be reached at [email protected]
