email: robin@extro.ucc.su.oz.au Robin Gaskell Tel: 61 2 726 0952 PO Box 21 Cabramatta 2166 NSW, Australia 26 Jan 94 This is a circular letter to a number of people hearing about Glosa for the first time, so I will be brief, and use point form. Rationale - Started in 1972 as a global language for science. - Streamlined and simplified, it is now presented as a language suitable for adoption as the International Auxiliary Language (IAL), alternatively, the World's Common Second Language. - Designed from tha start for maximum ease of learning and use, it was put together blending the best features from the various national languages. - As well as being readily usable by people, the language was designed to facilitate the computer handling of information. Design Features # Vocabulary is taken from the Classical roots (Greek & Latin) currently found in Science and the Euro-languages. [ease of recognition] # Orthography is the unadorned Latin alphabet. [most typewriters/computers] # Pronunciation with the five vowel sounds of Italian; consonants .. general European c = CH, j = Y, y = I, g & s both hard. [standardised] # Sentence structure uses phrases and clauses, as in English in Subject-Verb-Object sequence. [most commonly found order] # Grammar relies on syntax (word order); there are no inflections. [no grammatical structures to learn] Half of English grammar is like this. # There is one main rule: a word is modified by its precedents. In practice, `adjectives' precede `nouns', and tense particles and `adverbs' precede the `verbs'. N.B. `noun' = word used as a noun. # Words represent concepts and can be used - within reason - as any part of speech. [Chinese is the best-known concept language] Learning Materials > "Glosa 6000" dictionary 1992 Edition, Stg13 includes postage from UK. > "18 Steps to Fluency in Euro-glosa" graded instruction plus demonstration of linguistic features. Again, Stg13 covers the book and postage. > "Plu Glosa Nota" subscription newspaper: contains articles in English and Glosa. > Penfriend network, exchanging letters and tapes on Glosa. > Authors: Ronald Clark & Wendy Ashby, PO Box 18 Richmond, TW9 2AU, UK Hints \ Be sure of the pronunciation: borrow a "How to Speak Italian" cassette from your library, for the five Italian vowel sounds; say words out aloud - or in your head. Do NOT simply read Glosa words using English language pronunciation. \ Aim to think in Glosa as soon as you possibly can: play with the Glosa words in your head, directly, rather than try to translate from your national language into Glosa. \ Avoid thinking in national language idiom when marshalling ideas to express them in Glosa; and, in general, avoid, where possible, the metaphorical use of concepts. Glosa works best if you think about the ideas you are expressing, and use the ``right'' word to convey each concept. \ Practice making short uncomplicated sentences, at first. Get the `feel' of the language before launching out into literary prose. \ Go for FLUENCY when you start: accuracy will come later, but a flow of language is better than a faultering , though correct, sentence. -------------------------------------------------------------- What speeded up my Glosa most, was in attempting to use the language to get the particular meaning I wanted ... while retelling well-known children's stories in Glosa. Together with this letter are some technical details and some examples of Glosa prose [REMEMBER: do not read the examples using normal English pronunciation.] Included:- Tense Table .. amazing what you can do with ten small particles. "Eniac" ... a parallel text and an example of senence structure. `Glosa 1000' four A4 sheets: Glosa --> English [not on file] "Tri Ursus" ????? The only clues given are the name and the fact tha `pulsa' means "porrige." (Three Bears) To finish this introductory letter, here is the first set of home-work. Translate into English using the Glosa 1000 sheets: 1. U via kursi dia un urba. 2. Tri andra pa ki ad u mega boteka. 3. An fu ki ad an domi kron an sto ergo. 4. Un andra e u gina hedo greso longo u via. 5. Qe, tu habe u vagona? That's about all for a start. I look forward to seeing how you go, and will supply further introductory sheets to others you might be able to interest in trying this language. NO GUARANTEES: one day the world will adopt a Common Second Language; and, if Glosa can be shown to be more effective and easier to learn than the major contender, Esperanto, then some Glosa speakers will be asked to represent the language, and to demonstrate it in action. These are certainly exciting times. ======================================================================= GLOSA MECHANICS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY U prima elektronika digita The first electronic digital puta-me, ge-tekto in US, computer built in the US, ENIAC, ENIAK, pa gene ge-monstro a was unveiled at the University Pennsylvania Universita 1946. of Pennsylvania in 1946. It Id pa ponde plu 30 tone, pa ple weighed 300 tonnes, filled the u space de u bi-vagona garage, space of a two-car garage, and e pa kontena plu 18 000 vakuo contained 18 000 vacuum tubes, tuba; qi pa fali medio ad u which failed on average at the rata mo singu septi minuta. rate of one every seven minutes. Id pa kosto semi-miliona It cost half a million dollars dolar a 1946 preci. at 1946 prices. Nu-di un iso quantita de Today, the same amount of puta-me-pote es ge-tena computing power is contained in intra u pisu-metro silikon a pea-sized silicon chip. mika. Tanto ali domi puta-me; Almost any home computer costing Kosto solo $100, pote only about $100 can out-perform super pasa ENIAK. ENIAC. Syntax-based Grammar, example:- The red car, which is powerful, just now quickly turned the sharp U rubo vagona; qi habe mega dyna, nu-pa celera tropi un aku S:-noun phr- /(adj cl)-v- -m- -n- V: tense -mod- -vb- O:-noun phr- corner and almost hit two people, who were crossing the road. gona, e pa tanto bate bi persona; qi pa du trans u via. -con- -te- -mod- -vb- -noun phr- /(adj cl) -te- -vb- -n phr- Verboids & Auxiliary Amplifiers (before the main concepts);- DICE = to say e.g. DICE QESTIO = to ask KI = to go KI APO = to depart, go away NECE = must, need to NECE DROMO = must run POTE = can, able to POTE VIDE =can see NECE DICE QESTIO = must ask Generic Terms, examples:- PE PErsona = person e.g. AGRI-PE = farmer BO BOteka = shop PANI-BO = baker's shop DO DOmi = house AGRI-DO = farmer's house PANI-BO-PE = baker ================================================================== TENSE TABLE Glosa English ------- --------- Vide. See. Du vide. Continue seeing. Qe, nu-pa vide? Just seen? Qe, nu-pa du vide? Just been seeing? Nu-fu vide. Just watch. Nu-fu du vide. Just be watching. An vide He sees An du vide He is seeing An nu-pa vide He just saw An nu-pa du vide He has just been seeing (He now did continue to see) An nu-fu vide He is about to see An nu-fu du vide He is about to be seeing An pa vide He saw; He has seen An pa-du vide He has just been seeing (He did continue to see) An pra vide He had seen An pra-du vide He had been seeing An pa-fu vide He was about to see An fu vide He will see An fu-du vide He will be seeing An fu-pa vide He will have seen An fu-pa du vide He will have been seeing An nu-fu pa-du vide He will just have been seeing An nu-fu vide He will just see An sio vide He would see An sio du vide He would be seeing An sio pa vide He would have seen An sio pa-du vide He would have been seeing An sio nu-fu vide He would just see or He would be about to see Lase an vide Let him see An nece vide He needs to see An pa nece vide He needed to see (did need to ) An fu nece vide He will need to see An fu poso vide He will possibly see An fu gene lice vide He will be (get) allowed to see An habe lice vide He has permission to see An habe pote vide He is able to see An habe u pote te vide (alt.) " " " An debi vide He ought to see ... (now) An sio debi vide He should see ... (later) An pa debi vide He should have seen (did ought) U ge-vide objekti The seen object Id gene vide per un andra. It is seen by the man. An fu gene vide. He will get seen. Fe ne pa vide an. She did not see him. Qe, an nu vide fe? Does he see her, now? ----------------------------------------------------------------- pa = did; fu = will; pra = had; ge- = /ed; ne = does not; gene = gets; du = continues; nu = just now; sio = would. =============================================================== TRI URSUS Redice ex Robin Gaskell Mo kron, intra u mega foresta pa es tri ursus. Mu habita u dekora domi intra u pusi klara, sed holo peri u domi pa habe plu dendro. Ki apo u domi, u steno via pa duce inter plu dendro. Singu matina, u matri ursus pa kuko pulsa pro mu prima vora. Sed freqe, u ge-kuko pulsa pa habe mega tro termo pro plu ursus te vora, e mu pa nece atend id gene sati tepido. U-ci di pa eqa tal u di, e u patri ursus pa judika ke mu sio gresi intra u foresta tem u pulsa pa gene ma tepido. An famili pa hedo akorda, ka id pa es u fo kali di de tosto blasto-tem. Ko-co, mu pa vesti-se kongrue ko u fresko aero: u matri ursus pa vesti u kefa-ve e u lana tegu; u patri ursus pa habe epi an u paki mantela; e u pusi ursus pa vesti-se in no-braki mantela e poda-ve. Pre mu pa ki apo u domi, u patri ursus pa moti tri sedi-mo peri u tabla; u matri ursus pa loka tri disko epi u tabla antero plu sedi-mo, e pa fusi u pulsa in mu; e seqe u-la, u pusi ursus pa loka tri spatula para plu disko. Kron mu pa ki ex u domi, Patri ursus pa tira u janua tende klude id, sed an ne pa examine id: u di pa habe ta kali ke an pa kurso te juga an famili; qi, a tem, pa du tako moti longi u via. U janua pa reste sub aperi, e plu ursus pa vanesko in u foresta. Ko-co, iso tem plu ursus pa du gresi apo mu domi, u pusi ju-fe; qi pa es ge-lose intra u foresta, pa veni in u klara. Fe pa vide un ursus domi, e pa kurso, voka, ad id. Po oligo minuta, fe pa sto voka, poi fe pa komence bate ko fe manu u janua, dice, "Mi nima es Kriso-ciri. Place lase mi in; mi es ge-lose!" E nu, te explika de Kriso-ciri: u ju-fe pra vaga in u foresta minus permito. Holo tem, fe pa tange plu ra; qi fe pa gene dice ne tange, e pa ki a plu loka; qi fe pra gene dice ne ki. Tem u-la ideo di ke plu ursus pa du gresi in u foresta, Kriso-ciri pra judika, pluso, skope plu natura flori in u foresta. Minus kogita, fe pra ki ma e ma tele in u foresta, e fe pra gene toto ge-lose. E nu, in u klara, fe detekti u pusi-do in qi es no persona. Ko bi pluso forti bati epi u janua, id pa aperi. Iso tu sio expekta, fe pa lase-se in. Intra u domi, fe ne pa kredi fe vide: epi u tabla plu disko de fresko pulsa pa du vapori, e fe pa habe ta fago-vo. Prima, fe pa tenta u makro sedi-mo de u partri ursus, sed id pa habe tro sklero, e plus, u pulsa intra u makro disko pa habe tro termo. So, fe pa judika tenta u seqe loka. U meso sedi-mo pa es ma pusi de u prima, sed id pa habe u grandi pulvina epi id, e u-ci pa habe tro moli. Plus, u pulsa antero id, in u meso metro disko pa habe tro frige. Imedia po gusta u-ci frige pulsa, fe pa salti ex u moli sedi-mo, e pa kurso ad u hetero latu de u tabla. La fe pa tenta u pusi sedi-mo; qi pa habe fo kongrue pro fe, plus, u pulsa intra u pusi disko pa eqa veri exakto pro fe, e fe pa toto fago id. Anti fe pra habe pleni de fago-ma, fe pa vo habe ma. Fe pa vo habe ma pulsa, e pa du gene koleri. Poi, kron fe pa koleri bate u tabla ko u spatula par u vakuo disko, u sedi-mo, in qi fe pa du sedi, pa frakto. Seqe-co, Kriso-ciri pa tako kade ad u pedi-lo, e pa gene u mega bate ex id. Ka fe natura, u-ci bate pa kausa fe te gene ma koleri. Fe pa vo voka, sed pre fe pa aperi fe stoma te akti id, fe pa kogita; fe pa habe mega somni este, e u pedi-lo pa es fo konsola. Fe pa este fo fatiga po fe vaga intra u foresta, e fe pa ski; fe pa nece habe somni. Minus u seqe kogita pro u ge-noce kuko-ka, Kriso-ciri pa gene epi fe plu pedi, e pa peti ana plu skala ad u supra-stratu, te gene u kli. Fe pa kade epi u prima kli; fe skope, sed id pa habe mega sklero: u-ci mega kli pa pertine u patri ursus. No hedo, fe pa leve-se te kade epi u kli; par u-ci sklero mo. Anti-co, u sekunda kli pa pertine u matri ursus, e, iso u pulvina, pa habe mega tro moli. Id ne pa place u pusi ju-fe. Fo fatiga, fe pa leve-se te tenta un ultima kli. Kron kriso-ciri pa horizotali auto epi u kli tri, fe pa imedia somni. U ju-fe, habe ta somni e ta pleni de pulsa, ne pa habe un abile te ten aperi fe plu okula. Plus, u pusi ursus kli pa dona ta konsola a fe, ke fe pa profundi somni. Fe pa du somni kron plu ursus pa ki verso te vora mu prima-vora. Sed qod konfusi! "Qod persona pa du vora mi pulsa?" pa dice u patri ursus. "E qo-pe pa du vora mi pulsa?" pa dice u matri ursus. E, pa voka u pusi ursus, "Qo-pe pa du vora mi pulsa? Mu pa vora holo id!" Ko-co, u patri ursus pa vide ke an sedi-mo pra es ge-moti: "Qod-pe pa du sed epi mi sedi-mo?" pa dice u patri ursus. U matri ursus, vide ke fe pulvina pa es ge-plati, pa dice, "E qo-pe pa du sed epi mi sedi-mo?" U no-hedo pusi ursus pa vide an ge-noce sedi-mo, e pa voka, "E qo-pe pa du sed epi mi sedi-mo? Mu pa holo frakto id!" Plu ursus pa skope-se ko mira, e rogo-se de pluso noce de mu domi. Tako, mu pa ki ana plu skala te skope u supra-stratu. U patri ursus pa es u prima ki in u kli-ka, e, kron an pa vide u tegu ex an kli, pa dice, "Qo-pe pa du somni intra mi kli?" E u matri ursus, vide u kavita intra fe moli kli, pluso dice, "E qo-pe pa du somni intra mi kli?" Kron u pusi ursus pa gene to an kli, an pa vide Kriso- ciri, e pa voka, "Uno-pe pa du somni intra mi kli, e fe, a nu, es la!" U matri e patri ursus, akusti plu-ci nova, pa kurso ad u pusi ursus kli. Mu pa du skope u ra; qi pra kausa ta noce intra mu domi, sed mu pa no-kredi ke u pusi ju-fe sio posi kausa holo u-la noce. U proxi-lo de plu ursus pa sti vive Kriso-ciri; qi pa judika ke plu in-habita de u domi posi sio habe koleri pro fe. So, fe pa salti ex u kli, e, minus u "Saluta," pa kurso ad u fenestra, e pa peti-se ad u tera infra id. Plu ursus, ge-trauma de fe no-civili mode, pa tako moti ad u fenestra: la mu pa skope mu juve visita-pe kurso longi u steno via, e mu pa tosto lose vista de fe. U matri ursus pa voka, "Veni retro pusi ju-fe: veni te dice ko na." Sed Kriso- ciri pa ski ke fe pra es fo mali, e fe ne pa kredi ke u matri ursus sio posi habe amika este pro fe. Tristi, plu ursus pa atende u seqe visita ex mu pusi amika, sed minus profito. Mu Pa freqe dice de u festa; qi mu sio don a fe, si fe ki itera a mu domi. Kriso-ciri pa gene ta trauma ex un acide ke, ex u-la tem, fe pa holo-tem respekto plu ra de plu hetero-pe, e pa obedie un ad-voka; qi plu hetero-pe pa don a fe. Poli-kron, po fe visita ad u foresta, Kriso-ciri pa rogo auto si plu ursus pa ali-kron pardo fe. Qe, Kriso-ciri pa seqe ki itera, in u foresta, te don a plu ursus fe apologi? Posi fe pa ki-in la, te cerka un ursus domi, sed na fu nuli ski.