Enkeltish

Enkeltish is a constructed language created by the Swedish linguist and writer Oscar Andersson in the early 20th century. It is designed to be a simple and logical language, intended for international communication. Andersson developed Enkeltish with the goal of creating a language that was easy to learn and use for people from different linguistic backgrounds.

The grammar of Enkeltish is intentionally simplified, avoiding many of the complexities found in natural languages such as irregular verbs, gendered nouns, or complex case systems. The vocabulary is largely derived from a combination of Germanic and Romance languages, aiming for words that might be somewhat familiar to speakers of a wide range of European languages. The phonology is also designed to be straightforward, with a relatively small set of sounds that are common across many languages.

Andersson published several works explaining and promoting Enkeltish, including grammars, dictionaries, and sample texts. While Enkeltish did not achieve widespread adoption as a global auxiliary language, it represents an interesting example of the constructed language movement. Its development reflects a broader interest in creating artificial languages for various purposes, including facilitating international understanding and exploring linguistic principles. The language's legacy is primarily within the community of auxlang enthusiasts and historical linguistics research.