Lang25 - The Inaugural IAL

Some suggestions for the internationally-representative committee who will form the IAL:

[1] English script, probably without diacritics - the most widespread script, long-tested for handwriting and configured into most typewriting hardware. Bi-directional script as a possible introduction via child education.

[2] The variety of phonemes is such that not one is present in all the world's existing languages. A suggested compromise phonology for Lang25 would consist of the 20 consonants identified by the UPSID survey and the 5 vowels found in Spanish, Japanese and other tongues. It so happens that the most universal words for things within the common experience of the whole of humanity tend to fall within this phonetic range. Further discussion at LangX Vocabulary.

UPSID was a phonological inventory of 317 languages published in 1984 by researchers at the University of California. Examination of the selected tongues, each one representative of a different recognised language family grouping, showed the following 20 to be the commonest consonant phonemes:

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p,   b

t,   d

ʧ k,   g

ʔ

f

s

ʃ
m

n

ɲ ŋ
w

l,    r

j h

Most languages have 14 - 16 of these consonants. Also the five vowels [a e i o u] are nearly universal.

All the consonants are found in the table below, reproduced from Lang53 Orthography. Lang25 might avoid a consonantal script by using five of the seven "spare" consonants as vowels.

CONSONANTS

  a

ð

 the, this

  b

b

 ban, bib

  c

ʦ

 once, cancel

  d

d

 den, rod

  e

ʧ

 church, cello

  f

f

 far, fun

  g

ǰ

 gel, giant

  h

h

 hat, hen

  i

ŋ

 anger, wing

  j

ʒ

 beige, azure

  k

k

 cat, like

  l

l

 cool, leaf

  m

m

 met, hum

  n

n

 ten, nun

  o

θ

 thin, theatre

  p

p

 pit, up

  q

g

 tag, go

  r

ɾ

 ran, rib

  s

s

 sad, so

  t

t

 tab, it

  u

ɲ

 union, canyon

  v

v

 valve, hive

  w

w

 win, wool

  x

ʃ

 she, fish

  y

j

 yet, young

  z

z

 zip, daze

  '

ʔ

 a lo'a bu'a

 

[3] As for the grammar, we should look to the IAL's priorities. To begin with, the IAL will mainly be used for essential international communication. It will be a true auxiliary language - mostly limited to and focused upon practical necessities. As such, its grammar might well be initially based on the pidgin or Interglossa (original Glosa) model - strict word-order, three tenses and no inflections. The opening phase of the IAL might also be regarded as a global pidgin in terms of its chiefly mundane concerns, and like these utilitarian tongues, which are designed for real-time situations where context provides physical subjects and objects and most of the action, it will require hardly any grammar.

[4] An international committee or convention to formulate the initial IAL in 2005 AD - impossible?

Go to Introduction

Go to LangX - IAL Hierarchy

Go to LangX Background

Go to Lang53 Orthography

Go to Lang29 Grammar

Go to LangX Vocabulary

Go to LANGO

Go to Contact & Criticism

Go to Relevant IAL Links

Go to Deja.com Corres.

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