The discussion has been polite so far and it's not an unfair point. Earlier in the 20th century, German was the language of engineering. Before that, French. B

The discussion has been polite so far and it's not an unfair point. Earlier in the 20th century, German was the language of engineering. Before that, French. Before that, Latin. Before that, something else. Languages and their significance in different fields wax and wane.