Irregularities and exceptions in Interlingua

From Free net encyclopedia

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

Interlingua is notable in the sense that most languages intended as auxiliary languages seek to minimise or eliminate any irregular aspects. The below irregularities and exceptions are a compromise to make the language appear more familiar to speakers of Romance languages, in which many of the below verbal irregularities can be found.

On the other hand, Interlingua specifies that these irregularities are optional, so that their use or otherwise is not mandated by the language.

Contents 1 Required 1.1 Pronunciation 1.2 Other 2 Optional 2.1 Pronunciation 2.2 Other 3 External links

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=10^2*6 is "billion" (instead of "dillion" as derived from "duple").
• 10¹⁵=10^2*6+3 is "billiardo" (instead of "dilliardo" as derived from "duple").
• 10²⁴=10^4*6 is "quatrillion" (instead of "quadrillion" as derived from "quadruple").
• 10²⁷=10^4*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"

External links

• http://members.optus.net/~ado_hall/interlingua/gi/home/entry_page.html
• http://www.interlingua.com/en/gramword.htm