Irregularities and exceptions in Interlingua: Difference between revisions

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The term '''irregularities or exceptions in Interlingua''' refers to deviations from the logical rules in a few grammatical constructions in the [[international auxiliary language]] [[Interlingua]]. These oddities are a part of the standard grammar. These special cases have crept into the language as a result of the effort to keep it naturalistic. Most of these irregularities also exist in Interlingua's source languages; [[English language|English]], [[French language|French]], [[Italian language|Italian]], [[Spanish language|Spanish]], [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], and to a lesser extent [[German language|German]] and [[Russian language|Russian]]. This feature of the language makes Interlingua more familiar to the speakers of source languages. And at the same time, it makes the language more difficult for others.

The speakers of the source languages do not perceive all deviations as irregular. For instance, Interlingua has three different words for English "am" (''so''), "is" (''es'') and "are" (''son''). While most English speakers will not find any thing abnormal about it, speakers of a few other languages may find the use of three words to express the concept of 'simple present' as unnecessary.

This page describes the irregularities or exceptions in the [[auxiliary language]] [[Interlingua]]. Most of these irregularities also exist in [[English language|English]] and the [[Romance languages]] that Interlingua uses as its source material. By extension, they also occur in many other languages.

Interlingua is notable in the sense that unlike most auxiliary languages, that seek to minimise or eliminate any irregular aspects, Interlingua takes a flexible approach. It is mandatory to use certain exceptions in Interlingua while others have been kept optional.

Thus, they are not felt as irregular by many speakers. For example, the German ''besser'', the English ''better'', the French ''meilleur'', and the Spanish ''mejor'' have much the same role as the Interlingua adjective ''melior'', listed below. Speakers of such languages as these expect to see a distinct word for 'better' and generally feel comfortable with its use. The verb ''son'' ('are', ''pl'') is less widespread worldwide and is also rare in Interlingua. In nearly all languages, the word for ''ten'' is separate from ''one'', rather than derived from it. Not surprisingly, the Interlingua words ''dece'' and ''un'' are also separate.

==Mandatory exceptions==

Interlingua is notable in the sense that most languages intended as [[auxiliary language]]s seek to minimise or eliminate any irregular aspects. Interlingua offers a more flexible approach. The exceptions below are a compromise that, among other things, makes the language appear more familiar to speakers of the languages in which these forms can be found.

Interlingua usage specifies that most of these exceptions are optional, so that their use or otherwise is not mandated.

==Required==

===Pronunciation===

Interlingua does not have a 'one letter one sound' orthography. As in English, several letters can be pronounced in different ways; depending on where they are in a word. For instance, the letter '''C''' can be pronounced as either /k/ (''canto'') or /ts/ (''cento''). Here is a list of other mandatory exceptions in pronunciation:

*If ''e'', ''i'' or ''y'' succeeds ''c'', it is pronounced as '''{{IPA|[ts]}}''', or optionally '''{{IPA|[s]}}''' (instead of ''k'').

*"ch" is pronounced like the {{IPA|[k]}} "e'''ch'''o" or "'''ch'''rome", occasionally as the {{IPA|[ʃ]}} in "'''ch'''ef".

{| class="wikitable"

*"rh" is pronounced as '''r'''.

|-

*"sh" is pronounced {{IPA|[ʃ]}}, as in English.

! Letter / Digraph

*"th" is pronounced as '''t'''.

! Possible Pronunciations<ref>{{cite web|url=http://members.optus.net/~ado_hall/interlingua/gi/spelling/spelling_&_pronunciation.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040724184617/http://members.optus.net/~ado_hall/interlingua/gi/spelling/spelling_%26_pronunciation.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2004-07-24|author=Alexander Gode & Hugh Blair|title=Grammar of Interlingua (Second Edition)|date=2011-10-23|access-date=2020-01-26}}</ref>

*"ph" is pronounced as '''f'''.

! Rules

*If "ti" is unstressed before a vowel and not preceded by ''s'', it is pronounced like "'''{{IPA|[tsj]}}'''" in "ge'''ts y'''ou", "'''{{IPA|[sj]}}'''" in "pa'''ss y'''ou" or "'''{{IPA|[tj]}}'''" in "le'''t y'''ou" (instead of as "'''ti'''").

! Examples

*If ''u'' is unstressed before a vowel, it is pronounced {{IPA|[w]}}, like in "pers'''u'''ade" (instead of like in "pl'''u'''ral").

|-

*If ''y'' is unstressed before a vowel, it is pronounced {{IPA|[j]}}, like "'''y'''es" (instead of like in "mach'''i'''ne").

| c

*There exist unassimilated guest words which retain their original pronunciation and spelling minus all redundant diacritical signs.

| /k/ <br> /ts/ (or /s/)

| /k/ when ''c'' is followed by ''a'', ''o'', ''u'' or any consonant'<br> /ts/ (or /s/) when ''e'', ''i'' or ''y'' come after ''c''

| ''camera'', ''crear'' <br> ''acido'', ''Cinderella''

|-

| ch

| /k/ <br> /tʃ/ <br> /ʃ/

| like /k/ in words of Greek origin <br> /tʃ/ only in a few words (very rare) <br> /ʃ/ in several words that come from the French

| ''cholera'', ''chrome'' <br> ''Chile'', ''cochi'' <br> ''machine'', ''chef''

|-

| h

| /h/ <br> silent

| silent after ''r'' and ''t''

| ''horologio'' <br> ''rhetoria''

|-

| rh

| /r/

| pronounced as the "r" in Spanish ''caro''

| rhetorica, rheumatic

|-

| sh

| /ʃ/

| pronounced as "sh" in English

| Shakespeare

|-

| th

| /t/

| always pronounced like /t/

| ''theatro''

|-

| ph

| /f/

| always pronounced like /f/

| ''photographia'', ''photosynthese''

|-

| t

| /t/<br>/ts/

| pronounced as /t/ except when followed by an ''i'' and a second vowel in an unstressed syllable, in which case it is realized as /ts/

| ''tourista''<br>''creation''

|-

| u

| /u/<br>/w/

| /u/ except when unstressed before a vowel, in which case it can be realized as /w/

| ''luna'', ''plural'' <br> ''persuader'', ''superflue''

|-

| y

| /j/<br>/i/

| /j/ when unstressed before vowels<br> other like /i/

| ''Yugoslavia'', ''yoga''<br>''tyranno'', ''typo''

|}

Besides, there are also unassimilated loan words that retain their original pronunciation and spelling.

Diacritics are permitted when they do not influence the pronunciation of the word borrowed into Interlingua. Common examples of such words are ''radios Röntgen'' (X rays) and ''kümmel''.

===Contractions===

*The sequence "de le" is replaced by "'''del'''".

Just as in English, where ''I am'' is usually contracted to ''I'm'' and ''he is'' to ''he's'', such contractions are also found in Interlingua and these two are compulsory to observe:

*The sequence "a le" is replaced by "'''al'''".

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! Words

! Contraction

! Example

|-

| ''de'' (of) + ''le'' (the)

| ''del''

| ''del matre'' (of the mother)

|-

| ''a'' (to) + ''le'' (the)

| ''al''

| ''al luna'' (to the moon)

|}

===Plurals===

*If a noun ends with a consonant, it takes a plural in '''-es''' (instead of -s).

*If a noun ends with ''c'', it adds '''-h-''' and takes a plural in '''-es'''.

Plurals can be formed in three different ways depending on the ending of a noun.

===Parts of speech===

*Not all adverbs are derived from adjectives.

{| class="wikitable"

*If an adjective ends with -c, an adverb derived from it takes '''-amente''' (instead of -mente).

|-

*''Sia'' is the imperative form of ''esser'' ('to be'): ''Sia contente!'' 'Be content!'

! Ending

! Add

! Example

|-

| ends in a consonant other than ''c''

| ''-es''

| ''conversation'' - ''conversationes'' <br> ''pais'' - ''paises''

|-

| ends in ''c''

| ''-hes''

| ''roc'' - ''roches'' <br> ''choc'' - ''choches''

|-

| ends in a vowel

| ''-s''

| ''radio'' - ''radios'' <br> ''academia'' - ''academias''

|}

There are also irregular plurals that occur in loan words. The common ones are ''tests'' (from 'test'), ''addenda'' (from 'addendum') and ''lieder'' (from 'lied').

===Numbers===

*10 is "'''dece'''" (instead of "unanta" as derived from "un").

{|class="wikitable"

*20 is "'''vinti'''" (instead of "duanta" or "danta" as derived from "duo").

|-

*30 is "'''trenta'''" (instead of "tresanta" as derived from "tres").

! Numbers

*40 is "'''quaranta'''" (instead of "quatranta" as derived from "quatro").

! Logical Name

*A power of 1,000 above 1,000 has "'''de'''" between it and the counted objects.

! Name used

|-

| 10

| ''unanta''

| ''dece''

|-

| 20

| ''duoanta''

| ''vinti''

|-

| 30

| ''tresanta''

| ''trenta''

|-

| 40

| ''quatranta''

| ''quaranta''

|-

| 13

| ''tresdece''

| ''tredece''

|-

| 14

| ''quatrodece''

| ''quattuordece''

|-

| 15

| ''cinquedece''

| ''quindece''

|-

| 16

| ''sexdece''

| ''sedece''

|}

===Parts of speech===

* Not all adverbs are derived from adjectives.

* If an adjective ends with -c, an adverb derived from it takes ''-amente'' (instead of ''-mente'').

* ''Sia'' is the imperative form of ''esser'' ('to be'): ''Sia contente!'' 'Be content!'

==Optional==

===Pronunciation===

*if ''s'' is between vowels, it can be pronounced {{IPA|[z]}}, like in "the'''s'''e" (instead of the {{IPA|[s]}} of "'''s'''tay")

*if ''x'' is between vowels, it can be spoken like the {{IPA|[gzɡz]}} in "e'''x'''act" (instead of like the {{IPA|[ks]}} in "fo'''x'''")

===Verbs===

====Optional short forms====

*"'''ha'''" for "''habe"'', 'has', 'have'

*"'''va'''" for "''vade"'', 'goes', 'go'

*"'''es'''" for "''esse"'', 'is', 'am', 'are'

====Alternative forms of ''esser''====

:''Note. These forms are rarely used.''

*"'''sonso'''", afor plural''(io) present tensees''

*"'''erason'''" for "esseva"''(nos/vos/illes/-as/-os) es''

*"'''seraera'''" for "essera"''esseva''

*"'''sereasera'''" for "esserea"''essera''

*'''serea''' for ''esserea''

===Comparative and superlative adjectives===

*"'''(le)'' '''minor'''" instead of "''(le) plus parve"''

*"'''(le)'' '''major'''" instead of "''(le) plus magne"''

*"'''(le)'' '''melior'''" instead of "''(le) plus bon"''

*"'''(le)'' '''pejor'''" instead of "''(le) plus mal"''

*"'''minime'''" instead of "''le plus parve"'' or "''le minor"''

*"'''maxime'''" instead of "le plus magne" or "le major"

*"'''optime'''" instead of "''le plus bon"'' or "''le melior"''

*"'''pessime'''" instead of "''le plus mal"'' or "''le pejor"''

==References==

<references/>

==External links==

*[https://adoneilson.com/int/gi/ "a grammar of interlingua"] by Alexander Gode & Hugh Blair

*http://members.optus.net/~ado_hall/interlingua/gi/home/entry_page.html

*''[http://www.interlingua.com/en/gramword.htmgrammatica Grammatica de interlingua]''

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