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Irregularities and exceptions in Interlingua

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

Thus, they are not felt as irregular by many speakers. For example, the German besser, the English better, the French melieur, 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 and is also rare in Interlingua.

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

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

Required

Pronunciation

  • If c is succeeded by e, i or y, it is pronounced as s, ts, or like the English ch [tʃ] (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

Verbs

  • "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")

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"
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