| BASIC English | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Charles Kay Ogden |
| Date | 1925 |
| Setting and usage | controlled natural language |
| Purpose | constructed language
|
| Latin | |
| Sources | Modern English |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
| IETF | en-basiceng |
BASIC English (British Academic Scientific International Commercial)[1] is a controlled language used to explain complex thoughts. It has 850 words chosen by Charles Kay Ogden. Some articles in the Simple English Wikipedia (this website) use only BASIC English.
In 1937, Ogden hired Otto Neurath and Marie Neurath to make International Picture Language as one of eight books in BASIC English.[2]
The word use of BASIC English is simpler and more regular than the word use of normal English. In normal English, words often have a number of different meanings. To make BASIC English easier, not all the meanings of a word are used.
BASIC English uses Ogden's rules of grammar. Ogden's rules of grammar let people use the 850 words to talk about things and events simply.[3]
