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Help with Columbian Franca

From:Carlos Thompson <carlos_thompson@...>
Date:Thursday, September 28, 2000, 4:34
(well, actually the name is prone to change)

Columbia Franca is the official interlanguage of the Confederation of
Eastern Columbia, a confederation of "European" states in Columbia
(North America) in Zera (my conwolrd).  The confederation is conformed
by states seceded from England, France, Netherlands and Castilia, with
settlements of Germans, Basques, Scotts and Swedes (and later
inmigrants from Easter and Mediterranean Europe too).

In 1878 it was approved by the Congress that bureaucracy needed a
common language, and a group of schoolars were given founds to create
such language.  It was not mean to replace the languages of the
people, but to have a common language for writting the laws and
decrees and any other official paper aimed for the whole confederacy.
This language would also be tought at schools as second language.

After many proposals, including Latin, French and English; schoolars
and politicians agreed 1881 on an artificial language.  A cometee was
formed and by 1887 a usable language was published.  1892 the language
was included in schools as second language.  By 1898 the Constitution
and laws, as well as a Bible had been translated.

The schema used for the scholars was similar than the one used for
IALA in our world: they took the four main languages: English, French,
Dutch and Floridian (a version of Spanish) as base languages, with
German and Swedish as tie breakers.  If an element was present if
three of the base languages would be included.  If the element was
present in English and French (even if not present in Dutch,
Floridian, German and Swedish) it was included.  If an element was
included in other two of the base languages but not in other two, the
presence in German or Swedish would tiebreak.  If a decision could not
be taken, some arbitrary judgment would be used.

Well, given this background, the resulting language became a SVO, AjN
language with prepositions, written in Roman alphabet with a few
diacritics.

Alphabet and pronunciation:
 a = /a/
 b = /b/
 c = /s/ before front vowels, /k/ otherwise. (prefered writing for
/k/)
 ch = /S/ or /tS/, occacionally /k/, only used in borrowings.
 d = /d/
 e = /@/
 é = /e/
 è = /E/
 f = /f/
 g = /Z/ before front vowels, /g/ otherwise.
 gu = /g/ before frint vowels, /gu/ or /gw/ otherwise.
 h = /h/
 i = /i/ (or /j/ besides another vowel)
 j = /Z/
 k = /k/ (used mainly before front vowels)
 kh = /x/.  Only used in borrowings.
 l = /l/
 m = /m/
 n = /n/
 o = /o/ (or /O/, no distinction between open and close o)
 p = /p/
 ph = /f/
 qu = /kw/
 r = /r/ (trilled)
 s = /s/ or /z/ when intervocalic.
 sh = /S/
 t = /t/
 tch = /tS/
 th = /t/ (words of Greek origin)
 u = /u/ (or /w/ besides another vowel)
 v = /v/
 w = /w/
 x = /ks/
 y = /j/
 z = /z/

Well.  If anyone could help me with list of orthographic symbols and
pronunciation of (19th century) Dutch and German, as well as list of
words for the following topics, please send them (to me or to the
list):
  - personal pronouns (all cases)
  - numbers (0, 1, 2, 3, ..., 9, 10, 11, ..., 19, 20, 21; 30, 40, 50,
60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 200, 300, ...)
  - prepositions (and aproximate translations)
  - yes, no, excuse me, sorry, please, thank you, you're welcome
  - question words
ways of expressing:
  "the X of Y", "Y's X"
  "the X" / "an X" / "X"
  "John burns the house"
  "the house burns"
  "John burns"
  "John gave Mary the Book", "John gave the Book to Mary"
  "John doesn't burn the house"
  "the house doesn't burn"
  "John doesn't burn"
  "John didn't give Mary the Book"
  "does John burn the house?"
  "does the house burn?"
  "does John burn?"
  "did John give Mary the Book?"
  "The house John burns"
  "The house is burned by John"
  "The book is given to Mary by John"
  "Mary is given the Book by John"
  "East Columbian Confederation"
  "Common Columbian language"

Thank you.
=================================================
  Carlos Eugenio Thompson Pinzón
  Bogotá, Colombia
  ICQ: 19156333
  URL: http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/9028/