BASIC GLOBISH

 

     Globish (from the words "global" and "English") is becoming the widespread language of the business world that is used among non-Anglophones.  This language was put together by Jean-Paul Nerriere who considered it "the world dialect of the third millennium."  The "English-lite" 1,500 word listing is similar to what I.A. Richards did with 850 word "Basic English" for use in China in the 1920s.  Another attempt has been "Anglic," but this does not use English words in their commonly spelled forms, and looks strange to many of us native-born English users.  As a pastime for about 20 years, I have worked on a "Basic English" of about 1,200 words;  this has been background work on my "Appalachian Word Listing." 

 

     English-speaking nations need to put resources into the communications process in order to equal the efforts of non-natives second language people.  It is not fair that all second language-learning efforts be made by others especially from developing countries;  far better that we learn to limit our global language in order to help them.  Let's keep words basic and simple.

 

     Our goal is to use "basic Globish" in our Internet Daily Reflections.  Some might say that it will be limiting or "straight-jacketing" subjects that are being addressed.  That is why it will take some time to choose those words, which prove most necessary and which to substitute.  American speakers use about ten thousand words and writers twice that number; people in different professions have their own technical words.  How about defining additional words when used?  The future goal of limited but appropriate expression is for the benefit of a wide variety of people who read these reflections and consider English as a second language.  Let's go half way?

 

     The listing of my 1,500 basic "Globish" words (black-underlined) is quite similar to the existing Internet Globish listing (in bold letters).  Some 195 words that have been added (++) (underlined), and 195 words that have been combined, removed or substituted by existing words are in bold (--).  When the two listings are the same, the word is made bold and underlined (XX).  When words are combined (e.g. with + in) or are forms of a basic stem (e.g., inform and "information"), we include both under one heading.   

 

     In addition, we list four groupings, or a total of 500 words: 

     76 commonly used American proper names;

     127 American foods;

     186 other American words such as business; and

     111 regional plants and animals.  

                         ------------

     The 700+ grey-underlined major words (in caps) in The Penguin Roget's College Thesaurus in Dictionary Form  (New York: Penguin Putnam, Inc., 2003) are included here or fitting substitutes made.

 

                 Globish Word Listing     1,500 words         

A,  AN          

ABLE  -ness   Power 

ABOUT  round about,   about face

ABOVE

++     Absurd   Absurdity

ACCEPT  -s, -ed, -er, -ing, -able  "acceptance" Consent

        Receiving   

++  Access   -es, -ed, -ing, Increase,  Approach  Arrival

                              -ible,  "accession"

ACCIDENT  -s, -al, -ally       not essential

ACCOUNT -s , -ed, Accounting, -able   Description

--         [Accuse]     "Accusation" to fault, charge

ACROSS   

ACT   -s, -ual, -ually,  -ed, -ing  Activity  lack of {on, up, with}

           of doing "Action"

--      [Actor]    lack of Inactivity

++      Active     Activity   

--      [Activist]              

ADD  -s,  -ed, -ing  "Addition"   Increase   Acquisition  -al, -ally

++        Address -ed, -er, -ing  Request  Abode

ADMINISTRATION  -s   

ADMIT -s, -ed, -ing    "admission"     

ADULT  -s 

++    Advance  -s, -d, -r, -ing [progression] Approach, [promotion] Offer {in,                         on, to, with} 

ADVERTISE  -s, -d, -ing    "advertisement," ad   Publication 

ADVISE     s, -d, -ing, -or  Advice

--           [Affect]  =   Influence, touch

--           [Afraid]    = fearful

AFTER     -wards   = in back of

AGAIN   a- and again, say it - Repetition

AGAINST       over- [contraposition], Opposition, Disagreement

AGE  -s, -ed, -ing,   -less     very old age = ancient

AGENCY  -ies,  + person = "Agent" 

--        [Aggression] =   warlike act

AGO

AGREE  -s, -d, -ing, -able, ably  "Agreement", lack of Discord

                     mutual a.Compromise, Assent,  Conformity

AGRICULTURE                                        = farming  

--      [Aid]     =  help,  financial support

AIM  -s, -ed, -ing Intention   -less

AIR y -s, - ness,  -ing,-ed,-man [aeronaut] -plane; put on airs Boasting; -                            

craft {out  Ventilation}

--     [Air Force]    "military service"

AIRPLANE    -s

--     [air+port]

++    Alarm -s, -ed, -ing

--     [Album]       = collection

--     [Alive]       = lively    a + live        


ALL  Whole -blessed, -clear, -fired, fours, right, "  almost, also,

             although, altogether, All Holy,  + most, + ready, +so, + though, +together,

--   [Ally]    = fellow            "Alliance"   "united group"

--   [Almost]   =  all+ most

--   [Alone]    =  a  +  lone     =   single

--   [Along]    =  a  +  long  =  together with

--   [Already]  = all + ready

--   [Also]    = all + so

--   [Although =  all + though

--   [Always]  =  all + ways

AMMUNITION   -s

AMONG

AMOUNT  -s, -ed, -ing  Quantity

--   [Anarchy]   =    no government

 --  [Ancestor]   =  fore + bearer

--    [Ancient]         very old

AND 

ANGER   -s, angry,  -ed, -ing Resentment  bent  Irracibility         

ANGLE   -s, -ed, -ing, -r, -ular  Angularity   =  Elbow,   slope, grade

--         [Angry]  cf. anger  

ANIMAL  -s,  science,  sounds

ANNIVERSARY  -ies    =  commemoration 

ANNOUNCE    -s, -er,  -ed, -ing    "annunciation'

--             [Another]    an + other

ANSWER  -s, -er, -ed, -ing, -able 

ANY         -body, one, place, time, thing

APOLOGIZE   -s, -d, -r, -ing

--         [Appeal]      =  call for

APPEAR   -s, -red, -red, -ring, "Appearance"  =  seem

APPLE    -s  fruit, Food

--         [Appoint]   make, give official            

++           Appropriate   -ed, -ing, -ly   Borrowing "appropriation"

APPROVE  -s, -r, -d, -ing, -al Approbation, Consent, lack of  = not okay

AREA  -s    Region

ARGUE   -s, -d, -r, -ing,  "argument"

ARM   Arms -ed service, -ing,   -hold

ARMY    -ies

--        [Around]   =  nearly    a  + round =  round about

ARREST   -s, -er,  -ed, -ing     put in custody

ARRIVE   -s, -d, r, -ing, Arrival      

ART   -s,  -ful Cunning, lack in -fulness, maker "Artist"

--          [Artillery]    Heavy guns, gun group

AS

ASH    -es           - Wednesday,    tree

ASK   -s,  Request -ed, -ing    Ask sincerely  

ASSIST   -s, -ed, -ing,  -ant  "Assistance"  Aid

ASTRONOMY     - -cal, -icallly,  -er              

AT         home

ATMOSPHERE  -s     Air

++    Atom  -s    "atomic" 

--           [Attach]               =  tie, connect

ATTACK  -s,  -ed, -ing, -er

ATTEMPT  -s, -ed, -ing,    

ATTEND  -s, -ed, -er, -ing, "Attention" [heed] Care;lack of Inattention

--   [Attention]   cf. attend

++   Attract -s, -ed, -ing, "Attraction" pulling power, allurement

AUTHORITY  -ies

AUTOMATIC  -ally  [ "automation"

AUTOMOBILE   -s  Auto 

AUTUMN    =  fall season, late in life

AVERAGE   -s, -d, -r, -ing   Mediocrity 

AVOID    -s, -ed, -ing, -able  "Avoidance"                 

AWAKE    -s, awoke, -ing

--          [Award]              =  grant

++        Aware  -ness Sensability     =  conscious

--       [Away]        a  +  way   Being away  Absence  

BABY    -s, -ied, -ing

BACK  Rear -s, -ed, -ing [cf support],

 -er, -board, -ground, -wards

                               Regression

BAD   -ly, Badness, time [untimeliness], times  Adversity

     example [disreputable person], lands, name Disrepute

BAG  -s, -ger, -ging, -ged,  -man, -woman  =  sack, capture

BALANCE  -s, -ing, -d, -r  Symmetry, [counter-]; lack of    

BALL       -s           

BALLOON  -s,  -ed, -ing

BALLOT  -s, -ed, -ing     =  cast vote

BAN     -s,  -ned, -ner                         =  forbid 

BANK    -s, -er, -ing, -ed,  note,

BAR     -s,  shaft  -red, -ring

BARRIER  -s =  block + age, stronghold                = obstacle

BASE   Cause  -s, -d, -ing   -less  "Basic"  -ness  

BASKET   -s,  -ball

BATTLE  -s  = fight   "battleground" 

BE     am, are, is, was, were, been, will, WOULD, shall, should

++    Bear -s, -er Agent,-ly, -able, -ing, bore, borne against, out,

                through, up, with

BEAT  -s, -er, -ing   [repeated sound]      n. = Drum, v. = Whip  

BEAUTIFUL        "Beauty"   fully

BECAUSE

BECOME    -s, became, -ing

BED  -s, -ded, -ding                                      -ding, -room

BEFORE   -hand   Priority  = in front of

BEGIN  -s, -ner, began, begun  Beginning

BEHIND      -in back of;  behind time

BELIEVE  -s, -r, -d, -ing, "Belief",  true,  false, lack of Incredulity

BELL      -ringer,  sound

BELONG    -s, -ed, -ing

BELOW   -ground,

BEND   -s  Deviation -er, bent Tendency, -ing

--  [Best]    superlative of "good"

--  [Betray]   reveal, deceive         -er  =  turncoat

--  [Better]  comparative of "good"

BETWEEN   = in space separating two things 

BIG  -ger, -gest, -ness  b-hearted Liberality

BILL  -s, -ed, -ing     Receiving

BILLION   -s       #

BIOLOGY    -ical, -ically,  -ist   

BIRD  -s, -ed, -ing   = flying animals  -er  

BIRTH  -s,  Beginning  -ed, -ing  High - Nobility

BITE  -s, -er,    bit -ting

++      Bitter  -s,  -ly,-ness  Unsavoriness  [resentment]  = anger 

BLACK  -s,  -ness   Color,  market [illicit business]

BLADE     -s, -ed, -less,  of grass

BLAME  Accusation, -s, -er, -ed, -ing, -ful, -lessness  Innocence,  Guilt

--      [Blanket]    =  heavy cover

++      Bless  -s, -ed, -edness,  -ing   

BLEED     -s, bled,  -ing 

BLIND  Blindness  -s, -ed,  -ing, -ly    [blind faith]

BLOCK   -s, -er, -ed, -ing Hindrance,  put a block

BLOOD  y  -ed, -ing  Relation  "kin" 

BLOW  -s,  blew, blown, -ing, {out, up = Blast,  swell}

BLUE  -ing -ness   Color    blue blood  Nobility

BOARD  -s,   Food, Provision [tribunal]  -ed, -ing

++     Boast  -s, -ed, Boasting, -ful

BOAT    -s, -ing,  [watercraft]  

BODY     -ies             Parts

++     Bold -er, -est, -ly, -ness  Courage  Defiance 

             make bold =  dare

BOMB  -s, -ed, -er, -ing     {out}   

++     Bond    -s, -er, -ed Subjection; -ing; [securities]

BONE   -s, -d, -ing  -less,      -dry

BOOK   -s, -ed, -er, -ing  Good - Sacred Writings

BORDER   -s, -ed,  -ing                

BORN

BORROW     -s, -er, -ed, Borrowing

BOTH

BOTTLE   -s, -r, -d, -ing  cf. container

BOTTOM  -s, -ed,   man, place, side 

++   Bow    -s,  =  bulge

BOX   -es, -er, -ed, -ing  -ed off, up

BOY    -s     

--          [Boycott]    refusal to deal with

BRAIN   -s, -less  

BRAKE    -s, -ed, -ing                    Cane-    

BRANCH  -s, -ed, -ing [stream]  [divergence]

--       [Brass]             metal

--      [Brave]       cf. Bold               

BREAD   -s, -ed  Food      

BREAK   -s,  broke, broken,-ing,-able Brittleness, [disjuncture] -fast

       {at, for, in, off, out, over, through, up Divorce,                           disintegration], with}

BREATHE  -s, -d, -r, -ing  Vapor,  Touch;   take a breath

++   Breed -s, -er,bred,-ing Domestication, Reproduction,  Posterity

BRICK   -s, -ed, -ing

BRIDGE   -s, -d, -ing,  -hold                            

BRIEF  -s, -ed, -ing, -ly,-ness, -ing,  [compendium]

BRIGHT  -ly, -ness [cheerfulness] [pleasantness]

BRING  -s, brought, -ing {in, off, out, over, to light Disclosure, up,                          with}

++         Broad -s, -er, -est, -ly, -ness Breadth, -mindedness   = wide

--        [Broadcast]      Broad + cast 

BROTHER  -s, -ly

BROWN    -ness   Color

BRUSH     -es,  Touch  -ed, -ing

++       Bubble  -s, -d, -r, -ing

BUDGET   -s, -ted, -ting

BUILD