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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
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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...
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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
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- From: Somewhere around Barstow
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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
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
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- From: JP, MA
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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
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
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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.
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-titok16
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#9 2005-12-30 10:23 pm
- ironhawk
- Shai Dorsai!

- From: San Francisco
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- 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
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
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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
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- From: Somewhere around Barstow
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- 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
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- From: Somewhere around Barstow
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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
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- From: Castro Valley
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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
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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
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- Registered: 2001-01-29
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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
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
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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 ?
Damn it, I was going to say that! It would figure that the last poster in the thread would be me to the punch. 
Math is the only universal language. And Science. Science is the other only universal language. 
The storm starts when the drops start dropping. When the drops stop dropping, the storm starts stopping.
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#23 2005-12-31 4:29 pm
- Macskeeball
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- Registered: 2002-02-07
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Re: Universal languages
TheConfuzed1 wrote:
NoExit wrote:
you want to learn math ?
Damn it, I was going to say that! It would figure that the last poster in the thread would be me to the punch.
Math is the only universal language. And Science. Science is the other only universal language.
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
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- Registered: 2002-02-07
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Re: Universal languages
What about tone of voice?
tech writer for hire
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