Logopandecteision was a work by Sir Thomas Urquhart that was published in 1653. It was written as a proposal for a universal language. It was written in several parts, the most famous section being a list of the language’s 66 excellences. The rest of the book is written in the form of a rant against Urquhart’s creditors and the Church of Scotland.
Some think that this work was intended to not be taken seriously and should instead be interpreted as an elaborate joke. So elaborate, that he intended his contemporaries to not know whether to read it in earnest or not. The reason for thinking this text is a massive joke is due to its absurdity. Not only are his proposals almost impossible but there is also no provided interpretation of his language.
Emma Pitts
Work Cited
Jack, R. D. S.. “Urquhart , Sir Thomas, of Cromarty (1611–1660).” Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Online ed. Ed. Lawrence Goldman. Oxford: Oxford UP, 6 Nov. 2014 <http://www.oxforddnb.com/