Welcome friends, or should I say Benvenite!
Imagine being able to learn a new language in HOURS instead of years ...
Today, I'd like to spend some time telling you fine ladies and gentlemen about the constructed language Interlingua -- it IS that language. I'm guessing you've never heard of it, but it has incredible potential.
Steemit is all about connecting people, and so is Interlingua!
If you know a little bit about linguistics, then you've probably heard of the "Romance" branch of languages. These are the tongues you'll hear in Western Europe, like Spanish, French, and Italian - basically the modern children of yesteryear's Latin.
So, essentially like a new, super simple Latin, Interlingua is structured in such a way that, if you know even a little bit of a Romance language, then you can learn Interlingua FLUENTLY within a matter of days.
Per Wikipedia:
Interlingua was developed to combine a simple, mostly regular grammar with a vocabulary common to the widest possible range of western European languages, making it unusually easy to learn, at least for those whose native languages were sources of Interlingua's vocabulary and grammar. Conversely, it is used as a rapid introduction to many natural languages.
The name Interlingua comes from the Latin words inter, meaning between, and lingua, meaning tongue or language. These morphemes are identical in Interlingua. Thus, "Interlingua" would mean "language for intercommunication".
Want to try your hand at Interlingua and see if you can understand it yourself? Let's try! See if you can understand the passage below:
If you guessed that's America's Declaration of Independence, you're right!
Now, let's try the Lord's Prayer:
Pretty straightforward, right?
Well, take my word for it, once you start digging into learning the language, it comes to you EXTREMELY easily. I was able to read it fluently within just two days of beginning! (Though, disclaimer, I've studied French and Spanish for several years).
I've found that, after learning Interlingua, I pick up all the Romance languages easier now. I can read Portuguese and Italian now thanks to my Interlingua studies!
Seriously, think about the travel potential of learning Interlingua! You can learn a new language in two weeks and then travel to Europe and USE it!
If you're interesting in learning a little bit more about some Interlingua, I've compiled some helpful resources to get you started:
1) Click HERE to learn some useful beginning phrases in Interlingua.
2) Click HERE to learn the grammar of Interlingua in minutes.
3) Click HERE to download tons of free books in Interlingua from writers like Edgar Allen Poe, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Anton Chekov!
4) Click HERE to get Interlingua dictionaries in 18 different languages!
And, once you get good at the language, you can participate in the vital online Interlingua community! For instance, I've been translating my English poems into Interlingua lately, and I've already had 3 of my translations published in the monthly Almanac de Interlingua.
For example, my translation of my poem "On Sensuality" recently appeared in the 69th edition of the Alamanac:
*Final note: Marcus Scriptor is another major contributor to the Interlingua community that you should know about. He posts songs in Interlingua on YouTube all the time, be sure to check some out when you get a chance. Here's one you can sample for now:
And that's it for me now guys! What do you think? You interested in learning Interlingua yourself? Be sure to let me know in the comments below whether you think Interlingua is a good idea! Also, if you're bored, be sure to check out the latest poem I've posted! Thanks for reading!
-WMP