VOLANT. In heraldry (q.v.), a term mean ing flying.
VOLAPtiK, villa-link. An artificial language invented. by Johann Martin Schleyer (horn 1837). a German priest in 1879, and intended to be used as an international language. The aim in the for mation of Volaptik, as in the formation of most other 'universal languages,' has been to exclude elements supposed not to be universal. and there fore presumed to he too hard for some persons to acquire or manage. This theory, if strictly ap plied, would leave a poor minimum of speech, which would be inadequate for any scientific use; but it has never been strictly applied. The sounds admitted into Volapiik are those repre sented by the following 27 letters: bedfgh The letters, with a few exceptions, are used in their Latin, Italian, or German -sires. The vowels are nomMally long. Shortening is not allowed• theo retically, to weaken or obscure the vowel. The `umlaut' vowels. ii o ii, though far from universal, are admitted to fill out the inflexive scheme, which depends much on vowel distinctions. The consonants, q. it,. ng, th (thin). dh (this). .:31, etc.. are excluded; c and j are perversely used. The words are arbitrarily formed from the ap,• gregate European vocabulary. The Latin. Eng lish, German. or other national word for a given notion is chosen, and is cut down to its simplest form, the root, stem, or first syllable, with the omission or alteration of sounds or sequences of sounds not allowed in the scheme. Thus for 'house' the Latin domus is taken, reduced to dom (pronounced dun) ; for 'time' the English time, reduced to tint (pronounced tin) ; for 'teaching' the English teach (fitsh), reduced to tit and al tered to tid (pronounced tid). The words are often disguised beyond recognition, as 7,.od (Eng lish cause). dun (German Dank), ?lam (Latin ?names). All stems except particles must end in a consonant. To these are added many inflexive and formative endings, and some prefixes. In nouns the ending a indicates the genitive, c the dative, and i the accusative (dom, donna, dome, domi), The verb formations are rather numerous. The six vowels a 4/ eion indicate the six tenses. Passive forms begin pa-, pa-, etc. Prepositions are used to supplement inflexions (a, Gel, de, ko, etc.). Throughout, synthesis, as in Latin and
Greek, is the rule, and cumulation is the re sult. Polysyllables abound. As the radical words are mostly reduced to a single syllable, the stem is often hidden in the built-up form. The first aspect of Volaptik is therefore much like that of all entirely strange language, with noth ing to appeal at once to the memory or the im agination. The dictionary and grammar must be consulted at every word, until the words and forms are memorized.
Volaptik was first published in 1879. It soon found disciples and promoters in Germany, Aus tria, France, Holland, the United States, and other countries. international congresses were held (1SS4, 1887, 1859). directors were chosen, an academy or governing council was formed (1587), and resolutions and statutes were adopt ed. The second stage soon arrived. Proposals for the improvement or extension of the system were at first decided by the academy, with a right of veto conceded to the inventor. But the apparatus became unwieldy; change was hindered, the acade micians became restive, and dissensions increased. Individual reforms of the scheme were published by dissatisfied Volapiikists; and independent in ventors put forth new schemes of their own. The adherents of Vohipiik in its first form fell oil, and the whole movement almost. collapsed. But a number of the leaders continued their efforts and debates, and at length, with a re organized academy, under the directorship of Woldemar Rosenberger (1593-93) and the Rev. M. A. P. Holmes 11595 1903), formed what is practically a new system, very different in vocab ulary and inflection from Volapiik, called Lingu intornational, or specifically Idiom neutral, 'the neutral language.' Consult: Schleyer, Entwurf eincr Weltsprache (Signiariogen, 15791 ; ime's (Constance, 1SSO; ed. ISSS) ; Kireh hells. rolapiik-fralL.vri.s et franeais volapiik (Paris, 1857) : id., Le Volapiik ( ib., 1550 et. seq.) ; Domini-eh, Abridged Orammor of Lola puk (trans. from Kirehboirs, I857) ; Sprague, The Iniernationol Imaguaar: Handbook of rolapiik New \ ork. Hain. Grammar of Folapiik (London, ItisS). See l'NIVERSAL LANGUAGE.