George Dalgarno
Encyclopedia
George Dalgarno was a Scottish
intellectual interested in linguistic
problems. Originally from Aberdeen
, he later worked as a schoolteacher in Oxford
in collaboration with John Wilkins
, although the two parted company intellectually in 1659.
.
Dalgarno was also interested in constructing what he called a 'philosophical language', now more usually referred to as universal language
. A modern translation of his Ars signorum (Art of Signs, 1661) was published in 2001 in an edition that also includes his autobiography and other manuscript writings.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
intellectual interested in linguistic
Natural language
In the philosophy of language, a natural language is any language which arises in an unpremeditated fashion as the result of the innate facility for language possessed by the human intellect. A natural language is typically used for communication, and may be spoken, signed, or written...
problems. Originally from Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
, he later worked as a schoolteacher in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
in collaboration with John Wilkins
John Wilkins
John Wilkins FRS was an English clergyman, natural philosopher and author, as well as a founder of the Invisible College and one of the founders of the Royal Society, and Bishop of Chester from 1668 until his death....
, although the two parted company intellectually in 1659.
Works
Dalgarno was the author of Didascalocophus or the Deaf and Dumb man’s tutor (1680), which proposed a totally new linguistic system for use by deaf mutes. The system is still used in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Dalgarno was also interested in constructing what he called a 'philosophical language', now more usually referred to as universal language
Universal language
Universal language may refer to a hypothetical or historical language spoken and understood by all or most of the world's population. In some circles, it is a language said to be understood by all living things, beings, and objects alike. It may be the ideal of an international auxiliary language...
. A modern translation of his Ars signorum (Art of Signs, 1661) was published in 2001 in an edition that also includes his autobiography and other manuscript writings.