Irregularities and exceptions in Interlingua

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This page describes the irregularities in the auxiliary language Interlingua. Most of these irregularites also exist in the Romance languages which Interlingua uses as its source material.

Required

Pronunciation

  • If c is succeeded by e, i or y, it is pronounced as s or ts (instead of k).
  • "ch" is pronounced as in "echo" or "chrome".
  • "rh" is pronounced as r.
  • "sh" is pronounced as in English.
  • "th" is pronounced as t.
  • "ph" is pronounced as f.
  • If i is unstressed before a vowel, it is pronounced like in "onion" or "phobia" (instead of like in "machine").
  • If "ti" is unstressed before a vowel and not preceded by s, it is pronounced like "tsy" in "gets you", "sy" in "pass you" or "ty" in "let you" (instead of as "ti").
  • If u is unstressed before a vowel, it is pronounced like in "persuade" or "superfluous" (instead of like in "plural").
  • If y is unstressed before a vowel, it is pronounced like in "yes" (instead of like in "machine").
  • There exist unassimilated guest words which retain their original pronunciation and spelling minus all redundant diacritical signs.

Other

  • The sequence "de le" is replaced by "del".
  • The sequence "a le" is replaced by "al".
  • If noun ends with a consonant, it takes plural in -es (instead of -s).
  • If noun ends with c, it takes plural in -hes (instead of -s or -es).
  • Not all adverbs are derived from adjectives.
  • If adjective ends with -c, adverb derived from it takes -amente (instead of -mente).
  • If verb ends with -ir, present particle replaces it with -iente (instead of -inte).
  • If verb ends with -er, past particle replaces it with -ite (instead of -ete).
  • 10 is "dece" (instead of "unanta" as derived from "un").
  • 20 is "vinti" (instead of "duanta" or "danta" as derived from "duo").
  • 30 is "trenta" (instead of "tresanta" as derived from "tres").
  • 40 is "quaranta" (instead of "quatranta" as derived from "quatro").
  • 1012=102*6 is "billion" (instead of "dillion" as derived from "duple").
  • 1015=102*6+3 is "billiardo" (instead of "dilliardo" as derived from "duple").
  • 1024=104*6 is "quatrillion" (instead of "quadrillion" as derived from "quadruple").
  • 1027=104*6+3 is "quatrilliardo" (instead of "quadrilliardo" as derived from "quadruple").
  • A power of 1,000 above 1,000 has "de" between it and the counted objects.

Optional

Pronunciation

  • if s is between vowels, pronounced like in "these" (instead of like in "stay")
  • if x is between vowels, pronounced like in "exact" (instead of like in "fox")

Other

  • "es" as present tense of "esser" (instead of "esse")
  • "son" as plural present tense of "esser" (instead of "esse")
  • "era" as past tense of "esser" (instead of "esseva")
  • "sia" as subjunctive of "esser" (instead of "esse")
  • "ha" as present tense of "haber" (instead of "habe")
  • "va" as present tense of "vader" (instead of "vade")
  • "(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"