Idea: What if English became computational, just like LaTeX, to ensure lock-in?

#1

Imagine a version of English extended so that anyone writing for precision—scientists, lawyers, engineers, or anyone documenting complex ideas—uses sentences that embed non-trivial computations. Understanding such text would not just require reading; it would require executing algorithms embedded in the language itself.

Just like LaTeX which is Turing complete, this computational English would make automatic machine translation extremely difficult. Even a small snippet of computation could drastically change the meaning if it is misinterpreted. Over time, anyone who values precision might stick to English by default, creating a global lock-in for formal communication.

Casual conversation could still happen in any language, but for technical writing, legal documents, instructions, or rigorous journalism, computational English could become the universal standard. Its adoption would depend on its ability to guarantee exact meaning rather than ease of learning.

Would this lock-in ensure that English will be the universal language of the world forever, just like LaTeX for scientists?

#2

There is a very precise and unambiguous language: Latin!

When a message takes months to reach its recipient—that is, to travel across the entire Roman Empire—you cannot afford to be misunderstood or misinterpreted. Latin declensions serve this purpose. For example: “I see my brother with my glasses,” where are the glasses, on me or on my brother? This ambiguity is impossible in Latin.

Vale !!!