NACJONALIZM I KOSMOPOLITYZM JĘZYKOWY W PSEUDO-NAUKOWYCH TEORIACH. NA PRZYKŁADZIE DZIEŁA ANTOINE DE RIVAROLA O UNIWERSALNOŚCI JĘZYKA FRANCUSKIEGO ORAZ OTTONA JESPERSENA „PRZEDMOWY” DO ROZWOJU I STRUKTURY JĘZYKA ANGIELSKIEGO

The article is an attempt to present the arguments of Antoine de Rivarol and Otto Jespersen, through which the former justified the dominance of the French language in contemporary Europe (late 18th century) and the latter advertized the advantages of English as a then new (early 20th century) world language. Undoubtedly, Jespersen, who did not set before himself goals as ambitious as Rivarol and who, unlike Rivarol, had an extensive expert linguistic knowledge, is more convincing, which does not mean that he is free from exaggeration and idealization. In both literary works there are traces of nationalist or even imperialist thinking, however hidden under the mask of cosmopolitanism or scientific objectivism. This does not mean, though, that one may not learn a lot from them or that one cannot find there justified and balanced statements.