Journal of Universal Language

About Journal of Universal Language

The Journal of Universal Language is an international research journal and it is published by the Language Research Institute at Sejong University biannually. The goal of the Journal of Universal Language is to foster, present, and disseminate interdisciplinary research concentrating on universal languages. Language barriers have long played a major role in social and political conflicts around the world, and we believe that the development of a universal language is the key to easing tensions. We welcome theoretical and empirical papers that explore various dimensions of natural languages and the need for a universal language. In this regard, the JUL is multidisciplinary in nature and invites scholars from different fields, including but not limited to general, applied, and interdisciplinary linguistics, language policy, terminology, artificial languages, philosophy, sociology, psychology, anthropology, history, law, politics, religion, translation, economics, and business.
About Language Research Institute, Sejong University

The Language Research Institute at Sejong University was founded for theoretical and practical research on various modes of language usage as well as to provide a forum for discussions on the nature of language. The institute is particularly interested in the development of a universal language and its related fields. The institute also offers an opportunity for the exchange of ideas between researchers of various view points by holding seminars on language-related areas including general linguistics, artificial languages, and universality in language.
Article

Sep 30, 2024

Inclusory Plural Pronominal Constructions in Hungarian: A Comparative Syntactic Study with an Outlook to Universal Grammar

Gréte Dalmi

Journal of Universal Language 2024;25(2):1-49.
https://doi.org/10.22425/jul.2024.25.2.1

This comparative syntactic study offers an alternative account of analyzing Inclusory Plural Pronominal Constructions (IPPCs), which have been recently investigated in Finnish, Icelandic, Russian, and Hungarian. The alternative analysis rests on the feature composition of personal pronouns offered by Bianchi. First, the paper discusses the proposed analyses of IPPCs in Finnish and Icelandic. Then, it surveys the existing analyses of IPPCs in Russian and Hungarian, pointing out some of their advantages and disadvantages. Under the analysis propo...
Article

Sep 30, 2024

Evaluating the Potential of a Unified Hausa-Igbo-Yoruba Language to Ease Language Related Social and Political Conflicts in Nigeria

Olusegun Oladele Jegede

Journal of Universal Language 2024;25(2):51-92.
https://doi.org/10.22425/jul.2024.25.2.51

Nigeria, a multilingual nation with over 500 languages, faces significant challenges due to linguistic diversity, which often exacerbates social, economic, and political tensions. Existing literature has extensively examined the role of language in national identity and integration, but there is a notable research gap regarding the potential impact of creating a unified national language by amalgamating Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba. This study aims to explore the feasibility and implications of such an initiative for promoting national unity and coh...
Article

Sep 30, 2024

More than a Language Itself: The Speech Act of Refusal in Constructed Languages

Jin-young Tak, Inook Lyuh

Journal of Universal Language 2024;25(2):93-117.
https://doi.org/10.22425/jul.2024.25.2.93

This paper relies on the widely accepted concept that the speech act of refusal, which is intrinsically face-threatening and sometimes subtle to understand, requires pragmatic competence and cultural understanding. In light of this, the present study investigates the speech act of refusal in both natural and constructed languages, proposing that the speech act of refusal in constructed languages is a much more complex phenomenon, influenced by factors beyond language itself. This paper then demonstrates that the refusal strategies in two constr...
Article

Sep 30, 2024

Representation of Otherness in Translation of Multilingual Literature: The Case of A Thousand Splendid Suns

Eunha Won

Journal of Universal Language 2024;25(2):119-140.
https://doi.org/10.22425/jul.2024.25.2.119

The study analyzes translation strategies in the Korean and Malay versions of A Thousand Splendid Suns, focusing on Dari and Pashto words. The Malay translation favors source-oriented strategies such as retention and substitution, reflecting Malaysia’s multicultural and Islamic cultural familiarity. The Korean translation, however, uses a mix of source-oriented and target-oriented strategies, including specification and generalization, to ensure clarity for a less culturally familiar audience. This demonstrates that translati...

CURRENT ISSUE: Sep 2024, Vol. 25 , No. 2

Article Inclusory Plural Pronominal Constructions in Hungarian: A Comparative Syntactic Study with an Outlook to Universal Grammar Gréte Dalmi Journal of Universal Language 2024;25(2):1-49. https://doi.org/10.22425/jul.2024.25.2.1 HTML PDF PubReader	Article Evaluating the Potential of a Unified Hausa-Igbo-Yoruba Language to Ease Language Related Social and Political Conflicts in Nigeria Olusegun Oladele Jegede Journal of Universal Language 2024;25(2):51-92. https://doi.org/10.22425/jul.2024.25.2.51 HTML PDF PubReader
Article More than a Language Itself: The Speech Act of Refusal in Constructed Languages Jin-young Tak, Inook Lyuh Journal of Universal Language 2024;25(2):93-117. https://doi.org/10.22425/jul.2024.25.2.93 HTML PDF PubReader	Article Representation of Otherness in Translation of Multilingual Literature: The Case of A Thousand Splendid Suns Eunha Won Journal of Universal Language 2024;25(2):119-140. https://doi.org/10.22425/jul.2024.25.2.119 HTML PDF PubReader

MOST READ ARTICLE

Article Emergence of Marked Semantic Formulas in Refusal Strategy Hierarchies Inook Lyuh, Jin-young Tak Journal of Universal Language 2018;19(2):27-51. https://doi.org/10.22425/jul.2018.19.2.27 HTML PDF PubReader Last 3 months views: 2242	Article Language Preference as a Precursor to Displacement and Extinction in Nigeria: The Roles of English Language and Nigerian Pidgin Joseph Babasola Osoba, Tajudeen Afolabi Alebiosu Journal of Universal Language 2016;17(2):111-143. https://doi.org/10.22425/jul.2016.17.2.111 HTML PDF PubReader Last 3 months views: 2004
Article A Lexicostatistics Comparison of Standard Yorùbá, Àkúrẹ́ and Ìkàrẹ́ Àkókó Dialects Bolanle Elizabeth Arokoyo, Olamide Oluwaseun Lagunju Journal of Universal Language 2019;20(2):1-27. https://doi.org/10.22425/jul.2019.20.2.1 HTML PDF PubReader Last 3 months views: 777	Article Evaluating the Potential of a Unified Hausa-Igbo-Yoruba Language to Ease Language Related Social and Political Conflicts in Nigeria Olusegun Oladele Jegede Journal of Universal Language 2024;25(2):51-92. https://doi.org/10.22425/jul.2024.25.2.51 HTML PDF PubReader Last 3 months views: 635
Article Aramaic as a Lingua Franca During the Persian Empire (538-333 B.C.E.) Chul-hyun Bae Journal of Universal Language 2004;5(1):1-20. https://doi.org/10.22425/jul.2004.5.1.1 HTML PDF PubReader Last 3 months views: 628	Article The Pragmatic Functions of Some Morphological Structures in Nzema Proverbs Mohammed Yakub, Yvonne A. A. Ollennu, Cephas Delalorm Journal of Universal Language 2021;22(2):145-180. https://doi.org/10.22425/jul.2021.22.2.145 HTML PDF PubReader Last 3 months views: 578
Article Multilingualism, Social Inequality, and the Need for a Universal Language Sunyoung Park Journal of Universal Language 2023;24(1):77-93. https://doi.org/10.22425/jul.2023.24.1.77 HTML PDF PubReader Last 3 months views: 572	Article Inclusory Plural Pronominal Constructions in Hungarian: A Comparative Syntactic Study with an Outlook to Universal Grammar Gréte Dalmi Journal of Universal Language 2024;25(2):1-49. https://doi.org/10.22425/jul.2024.25.2.1 HTML PDF PubReader Last 3 months views: 548

MOST CITED ARTICLE

Article The Fall and Rise of Universals on Relativization Mark De Vries Journal of Universal Language 2005;6(1):125-157. https://doi.org/10.22425/jul.2005.6.1.125 HTML PDF PubReader Cited by 13	Article The European Union’s Need for an International Auxiliary Language Federico Gobbo Journal of Universal Language 2005;6(1):1-28. https://doi.org/10.22425/jul.2005.6.1.1 HTML PDF PubReader Cited by 11
Article Subject–verb Inversion in Greek: Implications for Head Movement and Typology George Kotzoglou Journal of Universal Language 2006;7(1):91-137. https://doi.org/10.22425/jul.2006.7.1.91 HTML PDF PubReader Cited by 11	Article A Comparison of Unish Grammar with Esperanto Dong-Young Lee Journal of Universal Language 2002;3(2):57-74. https://doi.org/10.22425/jul.2002.3.2.57 HTML PDF PubReader Cited by 9
Article A Typological Study of Tonal Systems of Japanese and Prinmi: Towards a Definition of Pitch-accent Languages Picus Sizhi Ding Journal of Universal Language 2006;7(2):1-35. https://doi.org/10.22425/jul.2006.7.2.1 HTML PDF PubReader Cited by 9	Article Languages and Universals David Odden Journal of Universal Language 2003;4(1):33-74. https://doi.org/10.22425/jul.2003.4.1.33 HTML PDF PubReader Cited by 8
Article The Adaptation of French Consonant Clusters in Vietnamese Phonology: An OT Account Huynh Trang Nguyen, Hemanga Dutta Journal of Universal Language 2017;18(1):69-103. https://doi.org/10.22425/jul.2017.18.1.69 HTML PDF PubReader Cited by 8	Article Articles in Natural Languages and Artificial Languages Sunyoung Park, Jin-young Tak Journal of Universal Language 2017;18(1):105-127. https://doi.org/10.22425/jul.2017.18.1.105 HTML PDF PubReader Cited by 8