Interlingua - Vocabulary

Vocabulary

See also: Free word-building in Interlingua

Words in Interlingua may be taken from any language, as long as their internationality is verified by their presence in seven control languages: Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, and English, with German and Russian acting as secondary controls. These are the most widely spoken Romance, Germanic, and Slavic languages, respectively. Because of their close relationship, Spanish and Portuguese are treated as one unit. The largest number of Interlingua words are of Latin origin, with the Greek and Germanic languages providing the second and third largest number. The remainder of the vocabulary originates in Slavic and non-Western languages.

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Famous quotes containing the word vocabulary:

    The vocabulary of pleasure depends on the imagery of pain.
    Marina Warner (b. 1946)

    My vocabulary dwells deep in my mind and needs paper to wriggle out into the physical zone. Spontaneous eloquence seems to me a miracle. I have rewritten—often several times—every word I have ever published. My pencils outlast their erasers.
    Vladimir Nabokov (1899–1977)

    One forgets words as one forgets names. One’s vocabulary needs constant fertilizing or it will die.
    Evelyn Waugh (1903–1966)