Idiom Neutral
Idiom Neutral is a constructed language developed as a revision of Volapük by Waldemar Rosenberger in 1902. It aimed to be an international auxiliary language (IAL) for global communication. The project was managed by the International Volapük Academy, which later renamed itself the Akademi Internasional de Lingu Universal.
| Idiom Neutral | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Waldemar Rosenberger |
| Date | 1902 |
| Setting and usage | international auxiliary language |
| Users | None |
| Purpose | constructed languages
|
| Sources | developed from a heavily revised form of Volapük |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | qin (local use) |
Development and features
Idiom Neutral replaced much of Volapük's vocabulary with words closer to Western European languages. It simplified grammar and introduced straightforward rules:
- Alphabet: 22 letters from the Latin alphabet, excluding q, w, x, and z. Stress falls predictably on specific vowels.
- Nouns and Adjectives: Nouns can end in any letter, and plurals are formed by adding "i." Adjectives follow the nouns they describe without gender or number agreement.
- Verbs: Regular verb forms cover tenses like past, present, and future. Verbs do not conjugate based on person or number, making them easy to learn.
Use and legacy
Although some dictionaries and materials were published in 1902-1903, Idiom Neutral did not gain widespread adoption. By 1908, the Akademi shifted focus to Latino sine flexione, a simplified Latin-based IAL. Interest in Idiom Neutral faded, but it remains notable in the history of constructed languages.
Sample Text
Here’s a translation example:
- Original: "Aparati deb esar adresed a shef de stasion Peterburg..."
- English: "The apparatus must be addressed to the chief of the St. Petersburg station..."