Englisch - die universelle Wissenschaftssprache des 20. Jahrhunderts. Alphonse de Candolle's Prognose von 1873

Abstract

With his «Histoire des sciences et des savants depuis deux siècles», the Geneva botanist Alphonse de Candolle published, in 1873, the first social history of science. He added to it, among other things, an essay on the necessity of one dominating language suitable to be used by scientists all over the world, and he predicted that, in the 20"" century, English would be this language. This, he writes, is sure to happen, above all on account of the previsible demographic evolution. By 1970, the English speaking peoples will greatly outnumber the French and German speaking ones, who are the two other communities prominent in scientific research. By an amiable characterization of the English language, de Candolle makes the inevitable more acceptable to his francophone readers. Finally, he stresses the great responsibility incumbing particularly on the Americans for maintaining their language on a high standard.