Latino sine flexione

Latino sine flexione (Latin without inflections) is an auxiliary language invented by the Italian mathematician Giuseppe Peano (1858 - 1932) in 1903. It is a simplified version of Latin, and retains its vocabulary. It was published in the journal Rivista di Matematica, vol. 8, number 3, pp. 74-83, in an article entitled De Latino Sine Flexione, Lingua Auxiliare Internationale, which explained the reason for its creation. The article argued that other auxiliary languages were unnecessary, since Latin was already established as the world's international language. The article was written in classical Latin, but it gradually dropped its inflections until there were none.

Originally, Latino sine flexione was sometimes known as Interlingua but should not be confused with the later, better known Interlingua presented by the International Auxiliary Language Association in 1951. After Interlingua was introduced, Latino sine flexione was sometimes called Interlingua de Peano to distinguish the two languages.

Though Peano removed the inflections of Latin from nouns and adjectives, he did not entirely remove grammatical gender, permitting the option of a feminine ending for occupations. The gender of animals is immutable. All forms of nouns end with a vowel and are taken from the ablative case, but as this was not listed in most Latin dictionaries, he gave the rule for its derivation from the genitive case. The plural is not required when not necessary, such as when a number has been specified, the plural can be read from the context, and so on. Verbs have few inflections of conjugation; tenses and moods are instead indicated by verb adjuncts. The result is a change to a positional language.

Nouns

Nouns that have no inflection are used as is: ad, in, et, non, semper, heri, quatuor, etc. Others are as follows:

Latin declension number (genitive ending)	1: -æ	2: -i	3: -is	4: -us	5: -ei
Latino ending	-a	-o	-e	-u	-e

Latin declension/nominative form	Latin genitive	Latino	English
1st: rosa	rosæ	rosa	rose
2nd: laurus	lauri	lauro	laurel
3rd: pax	pacis	pace	peace
4th: casus	casus	casu	case
5th: series	seriei	serie	series

Pronouns

Number	Singular	Plural
1st person	me	nos
2nd person	te	vos
3rd person	illo (male), illa (female), id (it)	illos
Reflexive	se	se

Verbs

Verbs are formed from the Latin by dropping the final -re of the infinitive. Tense, mood, etc., are indicated by particles, auxiliary verbs, or adverbs, but none is required if the sense is clear from the context. If needed, the past may be indicated by preceding the verb with e, and the future with i.

There are specific endings to create the infinitive and participles:

• basic form: ama (loves)
• infinitive: amare (to love)
• past participle: amato (loved)
• present participle: amante (loving)

Adjectives and adverbs

Adjectives are formed as follows:

• If the nominative neuter ends with -e, the Latino form is unchanged.
• If the nominative neuter ends with -um, the Latino form is changed to -o: novum > novo (new).
• In all other cases adjectives are formed with the ablative case from the genitive, as is the case with nouns.

Adjectives can be used as adverbs if the context is clear, or cum mente or in modo can be used:

• Diligente (diligent): Cum mente diligente, cum diligente mente, in modo diligente, in diligente modo = diligently.

Articles

As with Latin, neither the definite nor the indefinite article exists in Latino sine Flexione. When necessary they may be translated with pronouns or words such as illo (it, that) or uno (one):

• da ad me libro = give me (the) book
• da ad me hoc libro = give me this book
• da ad me illo libro = give me that book
• da ad me uno libro = give me a book
• da ad me illo meo libro = give me that book of mine
• da ad me uno meo libro = give me a book of mine

Pronunciation

According to Peano's guide to the language in 1931, "most Interlinguists are in favour of the old Latin pronunciation." This gives the pronunciation of vowels as follows:

• a--as in father -- [a]
• e--as in they or as -- [e, (æ)]
• o--as in tone -- [o]
• u--as in rule -- [u]
• y--as French u -- [y]
• j--as in yes -- [j]

Consonants are sounded as in English with the following exceptions:

• b--like English b, but like p if followed by s or t -- [b, p]
• c--like k always, as in can, cat -- [k]
• g--like g in go, get -- [g]
• h--silent in th, ph, ch, rh, otherwise like English h -- [h, Ø]
• q--as qu in quarrel -- [kʷ]
• r--as in correct (trilled) -- [r]
• s--as in sound, so -- [s]
• t--as in time. -- [t]
• v--like English w or v. -- [w, v]
• x--as ks. -- [ks]
• z--as in zeal. -- [z]

The following simplifications to pronunciation are also allowed:

• y and j--as i in tin -- [ɪ]
• ae and oe--as a in fate or e in get -- [e(ɪ), ɛ]
• b--always like English b -- [b]
• h--silent always -- [Ø]
• ph--as f -- [f]
• v--like English v -- [v]

The principal accent is always on the penultimate (second from the last) syllable, and secondary accent may be placed when necessary as the speaker deems appropriate.

Proper nouns

Those written with the Roman alphabet are kept as close to the original as possible: München, New York, Roma, Giovanni.

Language examples

« Latino es lingua internationale in occidente de Europa ab tempore de imperio romano, per toto medio aevo, et in scientia usque ultimo seculo. Seculo vigesimo es primo que non habe lingua commune. Hodie quasi omne auctore scribe in proprio lingua nationale, id es in plure lingua neo-latino, in plure germanico, in plure slavo, in nipponico et alio. Tale multitudine de linguas in labores de interesse commune ad toto humanitate constitute magno obstaculo ad progressu. »

Translation: Latin was the international language in the west of Europe from the time of the Roman Empire, throughout the Middle Ages, and in the sciences until the last century. The 20th century is the first that does not have a common language. Today almost all authors write in their own national languages, that is in neo-latin languages, in germanic, in slavic, in Japanese, and others. This multitude of languages in works of communal interest to the whole of humanity constitutes a large obstacle to progress.

The Lord's Prayer

Latino sine Flexione version:	Latin version:	English (ELLC - 1988)
Patre nostro, qui es in celos, que tuo nomine fi sanctificato. Que tuo regno adveni; que tuo voluntate es facto sicut in celo et in terra. Da hodie ad nos nostro pane quotidiano. Et remitte ad nos nostro debitos, sicut et nos remitte ad nostro debitores. Et non induce nos in tentatione, sed libera nos ab malo. Amen	Pater noster, qui es in caelis: sanctificetur Nomen Tuum; adveniat Regnum Tuum; fiat voluntas Tua, sicut in caelo, et in terra. Panem nostrum cotidianum da nobis hodie; et dimitte nobis debita nostra, Sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris; et ne nos inducas in tentationem; sed libera nos a Malo. Amen.	Our Father (who is) in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. [...] Amen.

Latin proverbs converted to Latino sine flexione

Latin	Latino sine flexione	English
Vox populi, vox Dei.	Voce de populo, voce de Deo.	The voice of the people is the voice of God.
Hodie mihi, cras tibi.	Hodie ad me, cras ad te.	It is my lot today, yours to-morrow.
Gratia gratiam generat, lis litem generat.	Gratia genera gratia, lite genera lite.	Goodwill begets goodwill, bickering begets bickering.
In medio stat virtus.	Virtute sta in medio.	Virtue stands in the middle.
Qui non laborat, non manducet.	Qui non labora, non debe manduca.	He that laboureth not, let him not eat.
Medice, cura te ipsum.	Medico, cura te ipso.	Physician, cure thyself.
De gustibus non est disputandum.	Nos ne debe disputa de gustu.	There is no disputing about tastes.

See also

• Dog Latin - Latin without conjugation or declension

External links

• Europeano.org
• Europeano: Latin without Inflexions - Information about Latino sine flexione and some writings of Giuseppe Peano
• Latino Sine Flexione introduction and English - Latino sine flexione wordlist
• Latino sine flexione - archive copy of a site in latino sine flexione; Peano's original writings on this language, blog in latino sine flexione, etc.
• Blog in Latino sine Flexione
• Yahoo-Group - Yahoo-Group for the revival of LsF