Occidental Course in 10 Lessons (English translation)
Mag. phil. A.Z. Ramstedt, Helsinki
Occidental-Buró Berlin
1 Unesim letion
1.1 Texte
1.1.1 Un international congress
Noi have un grand international congress in li cité. Li nationes de Europa es representat per eminent cultural persones. Li centre del congress es in li palace del parlament. Elegant modern automobiles sta ante li portas e sur li stradas e plazzas. Li fassades es decorat per li national flaggas. Li flaggas del nordic landes have li cruce quam symbol. On vide delegationes de divers partes de Europa, de nord e sud, de ost e west. Un deputation visita li presidente del state in li grandiosi residentie contra li ópera. Special correspondentes fa observationes e scri articules por li redactiones de grand jurnales e telegrafa al burós de information.
In li grand sala del palace es li general convent. In li micri chambres li special comissiones e comités have secret conferenties. Nu li official programma comensa. Li
borgomastre del cité saluta li congressantes. On electe un presidente. Du secretarios scri li protocolles. Un delegat del central states presenta un proposition pri li organisation del international trafic per aeroplanes. Li orator parla con fascinant eloquentie e li auditoria escuta con interesse e applaude con entusiasme. Un polemic debatte comensa e it fini per un resolution in favor al propositor. On accepta li proposition e refusa li contrapropositiones.
In li vestibules e corridores sta gruppes de persones, famosi professores de universitás, rich directores de commercial firmas, energic secretarios de social e professional organisationes, e militares in gala-uniformes. Ili have portafolias con documentes e actes e discusse li actual situation e international aferes.
afere |
affair |
ili |
they |
ante li portas
|
in front of the doors
|
letion |
lesson |
cité |
city |
scri |
write |
con |
with |
visita |
visit (verb) |
contra
|
against
|
fa |
do |
grand |
large |
por |
for |
discusse
|
discuss
|
sala |
room |
escuta
|
listen
|
per |
through, by |
cruce |
cross |
parla |
talks |
quam |
as |
fascinant |
fascinating |
on vide |
one sees |
eloquentie |
eloquence |
parte |
part |
residentie |
residence |
propositor |
proposer |
portafolies |
briefcases |
famosi |
famous |
sta |
stand (verb) |
fini |
finishes |
unesim
|
first
|
1.1.2 Li macules in li sole
Un yun monaco sede in un turre e observa interessat li sole tra un telescope. Per hasard il fa un sensational observation: it existe macules in li sole. Il hasta al prior del monastere e exclama:
„Patre, qui nu posse esser sin macules, nam mem li sole have macules.“
Ma li prior responde tranquilmen:
„Tu erra, mi filio. Yo ha leet Aristóteles multvez, de comensa till fine, e necú il mentionapri macules in li sole. Tui ocules have macules, e ne li sole.“
monastere |
monastery |
tranquilmen |
tranquilly |
multvez |
many times |
exclama |
exclaims |
nam |
because |
tu erra |
you err (=are wrong) |
patre |
father |
mem |
even |
mi filio |
my son |
yo ha leet |
I have read |
mentiona |
mentions |
esser |
be |
responde |
responds |
tui ocul |
your eye |
macul |
spot |
turre |
tower |
yun monaco |
young monk |
sede |
sits |
hasta |
rushes (lit. hastes) |
tra |
through |
hasard |
chance |
1.1.3 Aforismes
Genie es un percent inspiration e ninant nin percent transpiration. (Edison.)
Li humore es un del elementes del genie, ma, si it dómina, solmen un surrogat de it; it es li compane del diminuent arte e destructe, anihila it in fine. (Goethe.)
Un bon comedie es plu durabil quam un systema de filosofie. (Hume.)
Grand artistes es li sol riches qui divide lor tot felicie con nos. (Pauly.)
ninant |
ninety |
compane |
companion |
diminuent |
smaller, diminishing |
nin |
nine |
divide |
divide, share |
plu durabil |
more durable |
lor |
their |
si |
if |
quam |
than |
tot |
entire, whole |
dómina |
dominates |
destructe |
destroys |
felicie |
happiness, fortune |
sol |
sole, only |
nos |
us |
1.2 Explanation
Reading the first lesson, we find that the majority of words in Occidental are already long familiar to us. That is, the vocabulary in Occidental is largely composed of already-existing international words, those that most countries in Europe (and of course countries in the Americas, in Australia, African countries with European languages, etc.) can already understand, and do not need to learn anew. These international words are, as we can see through these examples, used in an "unmutilated" form. But, - and this is what makes Occidental unique - in the language they are not foreign loanwords, but entirely regularly composed and derived from international root words, that have been chosen in such a way that all these completely international and natural words come into being by themselves. This has never been achieved before in existing planned world languages.
The word-building system in Occidental is in fact the same one that is found in international words, but as we will see later, can be easily learned and mastered with the help of a few rules.
But it's not just the vocabulary of Occidental that is natural and easy to learn; the grammar is also extremely easy thanks to its regularity.
1.2.1 Article
- un congress - a congress
- un lampe - a lamp
- li congress - the congress
- li lampe - the lamp
There is no grammatical gender in Occidental. Un is the indefinite article (a/an), and does not decline (change form).
Li is the definite article (the), which also does not decline.
1.2.2 Singular and plural
- genie - genius
- genies - geniuses
- congress - congress
- congresses - congresses
- lampe - lamp
- lampes - lamps
- suc - juice
- sucs - juices
- dictionnarium - dictionary
- dictionnariums - dictionaries
Plural is formed with an -s, -es after a consonant. Some consonant endings such as -g, -um, -c only add an -s for phonetic reasons.
1.2.3 Cases
de un congress - of a congress
a un congress - to a congress
del congress - of the congress
al congress - to the congress
For the definite article (the), a + li is abbreviated to al and de + il to del.
1.2.4 Adjectives
un modern automobil - a modern automobile
du modern automobiles - two modern automobiles
Adjectives in Occidental do not decline for gender, number or case.
1.2.5 Persons
While verbs in English conjugate depending on the person and number, they do not in Occidental.
yo have |
I have |
yo es |
I am |
tu have |
you have |
tu es |
you are |
il have |
he has |
il es |
he is |
ella have |
she has |
essa es |
she is |
it have |
it has |
it es |
it es |
noi have |
we have |
noi es |
we are |
vu have |
you (plural) have |
vu es |
you are |
Vu have |
you (polite) have |
Vu es |
you are |
ili have |
they have |
ili es |
they are |
on have |
one has |
on es |
one is |
2 Duesim letion
2.1 Texte
2.1.1 Un dialog
Un yun mann promena sur li trottuore de un strada e observa li vive. Il incontra un amico, quel saluta le e strax comensa questionar:
"Bon die, mi amico. Quo Vu fa nu?"
"Yo promena."
"Quo Vu ha fat hodie? Yo ne ha videt Vos ante nu."
"Yo ha laborat."
"Quo Vu fat yer?"
"Yo esset in hem e reposat."
"Quo Vu hat fat anteyer, si Vu esset yer tam fatigat?"
"Yo hat laborat li tot die e nocte."
"Quo Vu va far deman?"
"Yo va scrir un long articul por un jurnal, e yo espera, que yo va har scrit it till fine posdeman."
"Mey Vu haver success in Vor interprense! Ma it vell esser interessant saver, pri quo Vu va scrir e por qui Vu va scrir."
"Ci noi ne posse star plu. Noi deve ear."
"Lass nos visitar un café! Ta noi posse seder e trincar un glass de bir e parlar. O si Vu vole, café o té. Ples venir con me!"
"Mersí pro Vor invitation! Ma ples pardonar: pro quo Vu vole saver quo yo fa, e pri quo e por qui yo scri?"
"Pro que un yun mann deve saver omnicos."
Note: hodie as a combination of ho+die is stressed as hodíe, and omnicos as a combination of omni (all) + cose (thing) is stressed as omnicós. They may be also written as hodíe and omnicós.
duesim |
second |
ne |
not |
promena |
strolls (cf. promenade) |
ante nu |
before now |
trottuor |
sidewalk |
laborar |
work |
vive |
life |
yer |
yesterday |
amico |
friend |
reposar |
repose, rest |
le strax |
him right away |
tam |
so |
bon die |
good day |
fatigar |
tire |
quo |
what |
nocte |
night |
questionar |
question, ask |
deman |
tomorrow |
hodie |
today |
Vos |
you (object) |
por |
for |
esperar |
hope |
o |
or |
que |
that (as in "I hope that") |
voler |
want |
posdeman |
the day after tomorrow |
venir |
come |
mersí |
thanks |
interprense |
endeavour |
pro |
due to |
Vor |
your (polite form) |
saver |
know |
pri quo |
about what |
pro quo |
why ("due to what") |
ci |
here |
por qui |
for who(m) |
plu |
more |
pro que |
because ("due to that") |
dever |
must |
omnicos |
everything |
ear |
go |
ta |
there |
2.1.2 Li furtard e li prestro
Un furtard veni a un prestro por confesser su mult peccas e reciver pardon e absolution. Li prestro sede in su stul e escuta benevolent, durant que li furtard raconta le pri su trics.
"Quo tu ha fat, mi filio?" questiona li prestro. – In li sam moment li furtard vide, que li prestro porta un fin aurin horloge in un tasca de su gilete. Il prende it sin que li prestro remarca to.
"Yo furte," li furtard responde.
"Talmen tu ne deve dir. Ples dir, yo ha furtet!" – Nu li furtard ja ha deposit li horloge in su tasca.
"Yo ha furtet," il confirma.
"Yes, bon, mi filio. Nu tu deve retornar to quo tu ha furtet."
"Esque Vu ne vole haver it?"
"No, tu deve dar it al possessor."
"Li possessor ne vole haver it."
"In tal casu, ples departer in pace. Tui peccas es pardonat."
furtard |
thief |
sam |
same |
prestro |
priest |
portar |
carry |
confesser |
confess |
su |
his, hers, its |
mult |
much |
horloge |
watch (wristwatch) |
fin |
fine |
aurin |
golden |
pecca |
sin |
tasca |
pocket |
reciver |
receive |
gilete |
vest |
prender |
take |
durant que |
while |
furter |
steal |
racontar |
tell |
remarcar to |
notice it |
talmen |
thus, in that way |
dir |
say |
deposir |
put in / deposit |
confirmar |
confirm |
retornar |
return |
to |
it, that |
esque |
(asked to ask questions) |
dar |
give |
possessor |
owner (possessor) |
tal |
such a |
casu |
case |
pace |
peace |
tui |
your (informal) |
2.1.3 Anecdotes
Li persian legates postulat del Spartanes terra e aqua quam signe de subjugation. Li Spartanes jettat les in un profund bronn: "Ta vu have terra e aqua."
Zeno, li filosofo, dit a un querellant yun mann: "Li natura ha dat nos du oreles e un bocca, por que noi mey escutar mult e parlar poc."
"Si yo va venir a Laconia, yo va extinter omnicos e omnihom per foy e gladie," scrit Philippos, li rey de Macedonia, al Spartanes. "Si," respondet li Spartanes.
Un asiatic potentate esset questionat, quel esset su opinion pri li vin. Il respondet: "It es un fluide, quel es extraet de lingues de féminas e cordies de leones, pro que, quande yo ha trincat vin, yo posse parlar sin cessar e combatter mem li diábol."
postular
|
demand
|
terra e aqua
|
earth and water
|
jettar |
throw, toss
|
profund
|
deep
|
querellar
|
quarrel
|
orel
|
ear
|
bocca
|
mouth
|
por que
|
in order to ("for that")
|
poc
|
little
|
extinter
|
extinguish
|
omnihom
|
everyone
|
foy
|
fire
|
gladie
|
sword
|
quel
|
which
|
vin
|
wine
|
fluide
|
fluid
|
fémina |
woman |
cordie |
heart |
cessar |
stop |
combatter |
combat |
leon |
lion |
diábol |
devil |
2.1.4 Proverbies
- Mannes fa domes, ma féminas fa hemes.
- Li infante es li patre del mann.
- Plu vu studia, plu vu trova, que vu save necos.
- Aure dat por sanitá, ne es dat in vanitá.
- On ne posse seder sur du stules.
- Errar es homan, pardonar divin.
- Parlar es plu facil quam far.
- Quande li fox predica tolerantie, ples gardar vor ganses.
- Sur un rulant petre moss ne cresce.
- Li morites governa li viventes.
- Bon comensat es demí parat.
- Que sempre es comensant, nequande es finient.
- Mult homes es vocat, ma poc homes es electet.
- Li sapon es li mesura de bon-esser e cultura del state.
proverbie
|
proverb
|
dom
|
house
|
hem
|
home
|
infante
|
infant, child
|
trovar
|
find
|
necos
|
nothing
|
aure
|
gold
|
sanitá
|
health
|
in vanitá
|
in vain
|
du
|
two
|
homan
|
human
|
divin
|
divine
|
facil
|
easy
|
quande
|
when
|
predicar
|
preach
|
gardar
|
guard
|
rular |
roll |
petre |
stone |
crescer |
grow |
morir |
die |
parat |
done |
sempre |
always |
nequande |
never |
vocar |
call |
hom |
person |
sapon |
soap |
2.2 Explanations
2.2.1 Conjugation
Verbs in Occidental are all regular (except for the verb to be (esser) which is written es in the present). There is only one conjugation with four forms. Taking the verbal stem ama- (love) as as example we have the following four forms:
1. ama
2. amar
3. amant
4. amat
1. ama has the following uses:
a) Active present indicative (regular present form): yo ama = I love, il ama = he loves, vu ama = you love, etc.
b) Active present conjunctive: Il di que il ama = He says that he loves
c) Imperative: ama! = love! veni! = come!
2. amar is the infinitive. amar = to love, venir = to come, presser = to press.
3. amant is the active participle (English -ing). amant = loving, venient = coming, pressent = pressing
4. amat has the following uses:
a) Perfect participle (i.e. an adjective): amat = loved, venit = come, presset = pressed. Li amat patria = the (be)loved homeland.
b) Active indicative preterite (i.e. past tense): yo amat = I loved, tu amat = you loved, il amat = he loved, noi amat = we loved, ili amat su patria = they loved their homeland, etc.
The other forms are created with the help of auxiliary verbs.
Active:
Perfect
|
yo ha amat
|
I have loved
|
Pluperfect
|
yo hat amat
|
I had loved
|
Future I
|
yo va amar
|
I will love
|
Future II
|
yo va har amat
|
I will have loved
|
Optative
|
yo mey amar
|
I may love
|
Conditional
|
yo vell amar
|
I would love
|
Precative
|
ples amar!
|
please love!
|
Hortative
|
lass nos amar!
|
let us love!
|
Perfect infinitive |
har amat |
to have loved |
Future infinitive |
va amar |
to will love |
Perfect participle |
hant amat |
having loved |
Future participle |
vant amar |
having to love |
1. har resembles haver (to have) but is used for verb conjugation, while haver only refers to the verb to have. yo ha venit = I have come, il ha esset = he has been, noi hat curret = we had run, il hat cadet = he had fallen.
2. ples in ples amar adds politeness to the imperative, in the same way as the English please. ples venir! = please come! veni! = Come!
Passive
Present
|
yo es amat
|
I am loved
|
Preterite
|
yo esset amat
|
I was loved
|
Perfect
|
yo ha esset amat
|
I have been loved
|
Pluperfect
|
yo hat esset amat
|
I had been loved
|
Future I
|
yo va esser amat
|
I will be loved
|
Optative
|
yo mey esser amat
|
may I be loved
|
Conditional
|
yo vell esser amat
|
I would be loved
|
Present infinitive
|
esser amat
|
to be loved
|
Perfect infinitive |
har esset amat |
having been loved |
Present participle |
essent amat |
being loved |
Other forms
1. Using the verb ear (to go): Li dom ea constructet = the house is being built. Using ear adds a sense of continuation (the construction is going on). Li libre eat printat = the book was being printed.
2. Using the verb star (to stand): Li dom sta constructet = the house is built. Using star adds a sense of finality (the house "stands" built). Li libre stat printat = the book was printed (the book's printing was all done).
3. Using se after a verb to make it passive or reflexive (to make it refer to itself). Li jurnal printa se rapidmen = the magazine is being quickly printed (the magazine "prints itself" quickly). Li cose explica se simplicmen = it's easy to understand ("the thing explains itself simply"). Yo nómina le Brian (I call him Brian), il nómina se Brian (his name is Brian = "he calls himself Brian"). Adding se to a verb may also give a sense similar to that in English: Yo procurat un libre = I got a book; Yo procurat me un libre = I got myself (me) a book.
Progressive form:
Present
|
il es laborant
|
he is working
|
Preterite
|
il esset laborant
|
he was working
|
Perfect
|
il ha esset laborant
|
he has been working
|
The progressive form is used much less often than in English, and is used to stress the fact that the action is ongoing.
Il esset laborant quande yo intrat. = he was working when I entered.
It works as an adjective in the same way as in English:
It va esser un tre fatigant annu. = It will be a very tiring year (from fatigar, to tire)
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