Complete Manual of the Auxiliary Language IDO
Introduction
Preface to the Second Edition
It is a pleasure to add my good wishes for the success of this second edition of the excellent “Manual”. I seem to read increasingly often today (but only in England) that English is becoming the international language. I have travelled a good deal in Europe, and I deny that English is within any measurable distance of becoming an International Language. I have rarely met a foreigner who could converse reasonably in English on any serious subject unless he had lived for some years in England. Apart from the irritating irregularities of English grammar, English pronunciation is the great stumbling block, and seems to have been specially designed to confound the foreigner — perhaps as a defence for our island home! Some time back I listened to a broadcast in English by Mons. Jacques Rueff, the eminent French monetary expert. M. Rueff spoke fluently; but although monetary theory is a hobby of mine, and I am familiar with the accent of the Frenchman’s English, in every sentence that M. Rueff spoke, at least one word entirely baffled me. If M. Rueff had spent on Ido only a fiftieth of the time that he has evidently spent on learning English, he could have made himself more intelligible to me.
Just a word on pronunciation. It is commonly said that the English are not good at learning foreign languages. This is untrue. The reason why the foreigner can generally recognise the Englishman from his accent is that we have been badly taught. From earliest days our textbooks have given as a model for the sound of the continental vowels the phrase: “Pa may we go too”, in which the second and fourth vowels are quite wrong. Unfortunately also, British Idists copied this model in their textbooks, and whereas perhaps some Britons do not mind if their accent in French betrays their nationality, the sole aim of Ido is to supply one auxiliary language for all nations, and it is essential that we all pronounce the language alike. I therefore suggest that in English Ido textbooks, we use the English model for vowel pronunciation: “Pa there we saw you”, and we shall then be able to meet continental Idists with a brave face.
The Value of Ido
The study of an auxiliary planned language such as Ido (reformed Esperanto) gives us a clear insight into the structure of our own and foreign languages. With no exceptions in its grammatical structure, it provides a clear and logical basis of comparitive language study and serves as the best key and introduction to any foreign language. Ido can be said to be the key to French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish as well as to many words of Latin origin and to the grammar of our own language showing us the foundation of all linguistic development, having eliminated archaic forms and the many exceptions with which ethnic languages are overburdened.
The Ido Movement
Ido Societies can be found in many towns and countries throughout the world. Through Ido they provide a rapid passport to friends and contacts throughout the world — No language problems!
Why not get in touch with your national society for further details? A list of books on and in Ido will be sent on request.
Preliminary Lesson on Pronunciation
THE ALPHABET. — The ordinary English alphabet of 26 letters is used, without accents or other marks. Spelling is phonetic, but the values of certain letters differ from the English values. Roughly, the consonants are sounded as in English, the vowels as in German, Italian or French.
THE CONSONANTS b, d, f, k, l, m, n, p, t, v, w, x, z are pronounced as in English, except that x keeps the ks sound even initially.
c=ts as in tsetse.
g=g in get (never as in gem).
h is always sounded.
j is sounded as in French, that is like s is vision.
r is trilled or clearly pronounced.
s is always sharp, as in a house (never like z, as in to house).
ch as in church.
qu as in queen.
sh as in shall. A hyphen is used in compound words to show that each letter keeps its own sound, as chas-hundo, «hunting-dog».
y is always a consonant, like the y in yes. Hence mayo is mah-yo, not may-o.
THE VOWELS are a, e, i, o, u and are sounded as in the words father, veil, machine, soul, rule. The southern English tendency to dipthongize the vowels, especially those in veil, soul should be avoided; they should be single sounds as sung on a single note. Listen how a foreigner or a Scotchman pronounces them.
There are two dipthongs in Ido, au and eu. Give each half of the dipthong the sound it would have if standing alone, only making the u shorter and weaker. Thus, au is pronounced ah-oo (something like the ow in cow); eu is pronounced eh-oo.
THE ACCENT or stress of voice falls
(1) on the last syllable of the infinitive (-âr, -îr, -ôr);
(2) on the last syllable but one of other words.
(3) But in polysyllabic roots, i and u immediately before a vowel cannot receive the stress.
E.g.: (1) amâr, kredîr, finôr; (2) amâta, kredîta, finôta, esperêble, facînda, jôyo, boâo, muzêo, herôo, dîo, dûo; (3) fôlio, lîlio, mêntio, Itâlia, akadêmio, melôdio, âquo, lînguo, pôtuo, rêvuo.
MANUSCRIPT. — The written forms of certain letters differ slightly in different countries. In international correspondence it is then advisable to choose these forms that most resemble the italic printed letters, especially in the case of capitals; e.g. the small e, g, x, the capital C, F, J, T, S. With regard to figures, the same rule holds. In a nutshell, write clearly and avoid flourishes.
Ka vu ja lernas la nova linguo internaciona?
Kah voo zhah lâirnahs lah nôhvah lêengwoh eentairnahtsiôhnah?
Me komencis studiar ol ante kelka dii,
meh kohmêntsees stoodeâhr ohl âhnteh kêlkah dêe-ee,
e me trovas,
eh meh trôhvahs,
ke ol esas vere tre facila.
keh ohl êhsahs vêhreh treh fahtsêelah.
Omna-die me lektas texto dum un horo;
ômnah-dêe-eh meh lêktahs têkstoh doom on hôhro;
me sempre lektas laute.
meh sêmpreh lêktahs lôuteh.
Ka vu komprenas to?
Ka voo komprêhnahs toh?
The Grammar of Ido
Lesson I
The definite article (the) is la. There is no indefinite article (a or an):