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#1 2005-12-30 9:24 pm

F041
Member
Registered: 2004-03-13
Posts: 3294

Universal languages

Does anyone here speak any of the scientific universal languages? I want to learn either Ido or Esperanto to aid me in learning other languages, and also to have that cool factor. Ido seems to be even more formulaic, although Esperanto has many many more speakers and even a television station. I want to learn this because I've heard that learning either of these and then a foreign language is quicker than learning just the foreign language, because knowing a universal language helps your brain understand the mechanics of language in general.

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#2 2005-12-30 9:32 pm

Tallgeese
Sternly Advising
From: Pool Party
Registered: 2000-10-17
Posts: 34086

Re: Universal languages

Artificial languages are doomed to failure. Learning another natural language is a much better way to understand language in general.


I still believe in liberalism today as much as I ever did, but, oh, there was a happy time when I believed in liberals.

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#3 2005-12-30 9:37 pm

jhota
blithering idiot
From: when i find out, i'll know...
Registered: 1999-09-08
Posts: 2664

Re: Universal languages

Tallgeese wrote:

Artificial languages are doomed to failure. Learning another natural language is a much better way to understand language in general.

except for Quenya, Sindarin and Klingon.

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#4 2005-12-30 9:52 pm

KeilwerthSX90
Member
From: Somewhere around Barstow
Registered: 2000-04-07
Posts: 3041

Re: Universal languages

Learning Esperanto can make a trip through Europe cheap. There is a system in place wherein some Esperanto speakers grant free lodging in their homes to any fluent Esperanto speaker. The program is called Pasporta Servo.

There is also evidence that learning Esperanto, due to its construction, makes it easier to learn many second languages, and it can be faster to learn Esperanto and another language than just the second natural language.


In a closed society where everybody's guilty, the only crime is getting caught. In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity.

- HST

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#5 2005-12-30 10:02 pm

fastman
Is very annoyed.
From: The shadows.
Registered: 2004-07-12
Posts: 428
Website

Re: Universal languages

jhota wrote:

Tallgeese wrote:

Artificial languages are doomed to failure. Learning another natural language is a much better way to understand language in general.

except for Quenya, Sindarin and Klingon.

Not exactly.  For example, Urdu was formed from Arabic, Persian, and Turkish to suit immediate needs.  Swahili was created was created from Bantu, Arabic, and Persian for the same purpose.  Both languages are still spoken today.


I love the powerglove.  It's so bad.

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#6 2005-12-30 10:15 pm

pottymouth
Uncreative
Moderator
From: JP, MA
Registered: 2002-02-06
Posts: 17408
Website

Re: Universal languages

Love is universal. I speak it almost fluently. Here goes. Ahem.

MY LOVE FOR YOU IS LIKE A TRUCK, BERZERKER.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKING smurf, BERZERKER.

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#7 2005-12-30 10:17 pm

StaticAge
Fearless Vampire Killer
From: Crouching in your pea patch
Registered: 2002-08-28
Posts: 6935
Website

Re: Universal languages

I agree, learn a second natural language.


"Live with your head in the lion's mouth. I want you to overcome 'em with yeses, undermine 'em with grins, agree 'em to death and destruction, let 'em swoller you till they vomit or bust wide open." -Ralph Ellison

"Overpower, overcome" -Cro-Mags

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#8 2005-12-30 10:20 pm

ironhawk
Shai Dorsai!
From: San Francisco
Registered: 2001-10-16
Posts: 3080

Re: Universal languages

OKAY.
Back to the original topic, this sounds like a great idea to me.

I was going to study latin as a means to more quickly learn other languages or understand other languages without speaking them fluently, and now it seems after researching a bit, as if studying Esperanto alongside latin would be a good idea, and quite enjoyable. It looks easier than spanish.


All posts on the internet are postfixed by an invisible "IMHO". It's not in the html code, either.
-titok16

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#9 2005-12-30 10:23 pm

ironhawk
Shai Dorsai!
From: San Francisco
Registered: 2001-10-16
Posts: 3080

Re: Universal languages

StaticAge wrote:

I agree, learn a second natural language.

I've read in two places now that studying eperanto makes studying a second natural language easier.
It certainly looks as if it could make studying several natural languages easier.

Well, I'm going to give it a go and find out for myself.


All posts on the internet are postfixed by an invisible "IMHO". It's not in the html code, either.
-titok16

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#10 2005-12-30 10:45 pm

fastman
Is very annoyed.
From: The shadows.
Registered: 2004-07-12
Posts: 428
Website

Re: Universal languages

ironhawk wrote:

StaticAge wrote:

I agree, learn a second natural language.

I've read in two places now that studying eperanto makes studying a second natural language easier.
It certainly looks as if it could make studying several natural languages easier.

Well, I'm going to give it a go and find out for myself.

Learning any language makes learning another easier.


I love the powerglove.  It's so bad.

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#11 2005-12-30 10:50 pm

F041
Member
Registered: 2004-03-13
Posts: 3294

Re: Universal languages

For anyone who has learned an artificial language or willreport back! I'd love to know the learning curve.

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#12 2005-12-31 3:47 am

KeilwerthSX90
Member
From: Somewhere around Barstow
Registered: 2000-04-07
Posts: 3041

Re: Universal languages

fastman wrote:

ironhawk wrote:

StaticAge wrote:

I agree, learn a second natural language.

I've read in two places now that studying eperanto makes studying a second natural language easier.
It certainly looks as if it could make studying several natural languages easier.

Well, I'm going to give it a go and find out for myself.

Learning any language makes learning another easier.

Esperanto has some advantages in this respect, though, as it was synthesized out of many European languages to be similar to any one of them. A language similar to your own (or another you already speak) is easier to learn than one completely different (Spanish or German versus Mandarin).


In a closed society where everybody's guilty, the only crime is getting caught. In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity.

- HST

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#13 2005-12-31 3:54 am

KeilwerthSX90
Member
From: Somewhere around Barstow
Registered: 2000-04-07
Posts: 3041

Re: Universal languages

Aren't all languages artificial?


In a closed society where everybody's guilty, the only crime is getting caught. In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity.

- HST

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#14 2005-12-31 3:57 am

MacAddict4Life
Member
From: Castro Valley
Registered: 2000-04-24
Posts: 2797
Website

Re: Universal languages

I have friends that learned some Esperanto. Both thought it sounded interesting, and went on to become linguistics majors.

Both ended up hating Esperanto and that class. They stopped it after one quarter, and are both currently doing quite well in 2 other languages each without continuing study of Esperanto. Indeed, both regret having taken it.


http://www.ernestphillips.com/
"Of all the habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indespensible supports." -George Washington

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#15 2005-12-31 4:00 am

KeilwerthSX90
Member
From: Somewhere around Barstow
Registered: 2000-04-07
Posts: 3041

Re: Universal languages

MacAddict4Life wrote:

I have friends that learned some Esperanto. Both thought it sounded interesting, and went on to become linguistics majors.

Both ended up hating Esperanto and that class. They stopped it after one quarter, and are both currently doing quite well in 2 other languages each without continuing study of Esperanto. Indeed, both regret having taken it.

Well, I'm just trying to give Esperanto the benefit of the doubt here. I still think that it's an interesting idea, at the least, and is the most successful artificial language.


In a closed society where everybody's guilty, the only crime is getting caught. In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity.

- HST

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#16 2005-12-31 4:10 am

ironhawk
Shai Dorsai!
From: San Francisco
Registered: 2001-10-16
Posts: 3080

Re: Universal languages

fastman wrote:

ironhawk wrote:

StaticAge wrote:

I agree, learn a second natural language.

I've read in two places now that studying eperanto makes studying a second natural language easier.
It certainly looks as if it could make studying several natural languages easier.

Well, I'm going to give it a go and find out for myself.

Learning any language makes learning another easier.

Some more than others, one would think.


All posts on the internet are postfixed by an invisible "IMHO". It's not in the html code, either.
-titok16

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#17 2005-12-31 5:37 am

Egress
Connoisseur of Eyebrows
From: Rockville, Maryland, USA
Registered: 2000-02-05
Posts: 5049

Re: Universal languages

Soccer is the universal language.


Hey!!! Was that Pithy? Got a twenty?

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#18 2005-12-31 6:31 am

Tetrachloride
❖ ❖ ❖
Registered: 2001-01-29
Posts: 7150

Re: Universal languages

ironhawk wrote:

I was going to study latin as a means to more quickly learn other languages or understand other languages without speaking them fluently, and now it seems after researching a bit, as if studying Esperanto alongside latin would be a good idea, and quite enjoyable. It looks easier than spanish.

How about Italian instead of Latin.

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#19 2005-12-31 8:24 am

Tallgeese
Sternly Advising
From: Pool Party
Registered: 2000-10-17
Posts: 34086

Re: Universal languages

KeilwerthSX90 wrote:

Aren't all languages artificial?

No, and I'm not sure why you'd say that.

If you want to make other languages easier, study Indo-European.


I still believe in liberalism today as much as I ever did, but, oh, there was a happy time when I believed in liberals.

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#20 2005-12-31 11:45 am

fastman
Is very annoyed.
From: The shadows.
Registered: 2004-07-12
Posts: 428
Website

Re: Universal languages

KeilwerthSX90 wrote:

Aren't all languages artificial?

Languages develop arbitrarily.  Contrary to popular belief, two cavemen didn't sit down and create language.


I love the powerglove.  It's so bad.

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#21 2005-12-31 2:13 pm

NoExit
NINJ4
From: Westmister, California
Registered: 2001-02-12
Posts: 6243
Website

Re: Universal languages

you want to learn math ? wink


[MA]NoExit|X| - The good man scorns the wicked.

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#22 2005-12-31 2:31 pm

TheConfuzed1
Faking Sanity
Registered: 2000-04-19
Posts: 20194

Re: Universal languages

NoExit wrote:

you want to learn math ? wink

Damn it, I was going to say that!  It would figure that the last poster in the thread would be me to the punch.  wink

Math is the only universal language.  And Science.  Science is the other only universal language.  tongue


The storm starts when the drops start dropping.  When the drops stop dropping, the storm starts stopping.

Last Fm

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#23 2005-12-31 4:29 pm

Macskeeball
Member
Registered: 2002-02-07
Posts: 8014
Website

Re: Universal languages

TheConfuzed1 wrote:

NoExit wrote:

you want to learn math ? wink

Damn it, I was going to say that!  It would figure that the last poster in the thread would be me to the punch.  wink

Math is the only universal language.  And Science.  Science is the other only universal language.  tongue

What about music?


tech writer for hire

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#24 2005-12-31 4:38 pm

lord funk
Title
Registered: 2000-12-11
Posts: 2276

Re: Universal languages

Macskeeball wrote:

What about music?

Actually, music acts very much like the languages of the world.  Can you decifer the sounds of an early morning raga from an afternoon raga?  Do you understand what you're listening to in gamelon music?  Do you know how djembe drummers in different African cultures use rhythm to convey messages?

You may think that since music causes emotion, you understand it.  But you'd be wrong.


In and around the lake,
Mountains come out of the sky
And they stand there!

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#25 2005-12-31 4:45 pm

Macskeeball
Member
Registered: 2002-02-07
Posts: 8014
Website

Re: Universal languages

What about tone of voice?


tech writer for hire

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