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.

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 to keep it naturalistic. Most of these irregularities also exist in Interlingua's source languages such as [[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.

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.

The speakers of the source languages don't perceive all deviations as irregular. For instance, Interlingua has two different words for English ''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 two words to express the concept of 'simple present' as unnecessary.

==Mandatory exceptions==

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.

==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:

==Mandatory Exceptions==

===Pronunciation===

Unlike [[Esperanto]], the most popular [[auxiliary language]], Interlingua doesn't 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 '''S''' can be pronounced as either [s] (stato) or [z] (chinese). Here is a list of other mandatory exceptions in pronunciation:

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! Letter / Digraph

! 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|publishertitle=|language=englishGrammar of Interlingua (Second Edition)|date=2011-10-23|access-date=2020-01-26}}</ref>

! Rules

! Examples

|-

| c

| [/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> [ʧ]/tʃ/ </br> [/ʃ]/

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

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

|-

| h

| [/h]/ </br> silent

| usually [h] </br> but silent after ''r'' and ''t''

| horlogio''horologio'' </br> ''rhetoria''

|-

| rh

| [/r]/

| always pronounced likeas [the "r]" in Spanish ''caro''

| rhetorica, rheumatic

|-

|-

| s

| [s] <br/> [z]

| [s] if followed by a consonant <br/> [z] between vowels

| son, spa <br/> accusative, abstruse

|-

| sh

| [/ʃ]/

| always pronounced likeas "sh" in [ʃ]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 it is followed by ''a'',an ''oi'', ''u''and ora anysecond ''consonant''vowel </br>in [ts]an whenunstressed ''e''syllable, ''i''in orwhich ''y''case comeit afteris ''t''realized as /ts/

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

|-

| u

| [/u:] </<br> [/w]/

| [/u:]/ except when between two consonants or stressedunstressed before a vowel, </br>in [w]which whencase unstressedit andcan precedesbe arealized as vowel/w/

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

|-

| x

| [ks] </br> [z]

| usually [ks] </br> like [z] when precedes a vowel

| affixo </br> xenon, xenophobia

|-

| y

| [/j] </<br> [/i:]/

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

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

|}

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

Diacritics thoughare permitted when they do not influence the diacriticspronunciation areof the word borrowed usuallyinto removedInterlingua. CommonsCommon 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")

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===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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