Vol′apük′ is the name given to an artificial language which Johann Schleyer of Baden invented in 1879. It was intended for use as an international speech. The words which form the vocabulary of Volapük are constructed from an aggregate of words belonging to the different European languages, especially English. In order that the language may be easily learned, local elements and inflexions are discarded. Austria was the first nation to welcome Volapük to any considerable extent, and the language soon spread to France, the Netherlands, America and England. The weakness of Volapük is that it begins without a history; and, therefore, without authority. Thus its usefulness is diminished by the large number of modified and rival world-languages, which have been stimulated by the example of its success. In Volapuk there are 27 sounds, represented by a ä e i o ö u ü b c d f g h j k l m n p r s t v x y z. Most of these letters have their usual continental values; but c is like English j in jib, h like the final ch in German, j like the English sh, v like the English w in we, y like the English y in you and z like the English ts.
The words in Volapük are formed from the simplest roots; and may be built into compound forms by prefixes and suffixes which have a constant value. Thus ik is the adjectival affix; ön the infinitive affix; and so on. Nouns are inflected in the genitive, dative and accusative singular by adding a, e and i respectively; and in the nominative, genitive, dative and accusative plural by adding respectively s, as, es and is.
In 1884, 1887 and 1889 international Volapük conferences were held; and a controlling academy was established in 1887. The directors of this academy during 1893–1903 were, first, Mr. W. Rosenberger and, afterwards, the Rev. M. A. Holmes. Under their leadership the academy modified Volapük into Linger International or Idion Neutral. The literature on Volapük in English includes Dornbusch’s Abridged Grammar of Volapük; Sprague’s The International Language; Seret’s Grammar with Vocabularies of Volapük; and Hain’s Grammar of Volapük. See Esperanto.