Editing Interlingua (section)

== History ==
The American heiress [[Alice Vanderbilt Morris]] (1874–1950) became interested in [[linguistics]] and the [[international auxiliary language]] movement in the early 1920s. In 1924, Morris and her husband, [[Dave Hennen Morris]], established the non-profit [[International Auxiliary Language Association]] (IALA) in [[New York City]]. Their aim was to place the study of IALs on a more complex and scientific basis. Morris developed the research program of IALA in consultation with [[Edward Sapir]], [[William Edward Collinson]], and [[Otto Jespersen]].{{sfn|Falk|1995}}

Investigations of the auxiliary language problem were in progress at the International Research Council, the American Council on Education, the American Council of Learned Societies, the British, French, Italian, and American Associations for the advancement of science, and other groups of specialists. Morris created IALA as a continuation of this work.{{sfn|Bray|1971|loc=Foreword}}

=== International Auxiliary Language Association ===
The IALA became a major supporter of mainstream American linguistics. Numerous studies by Sapir, Collinson, and [[Morris Swadesh]] in the 1930s and 1940s, for example, were funded by IALA. Alice Morris edited several of these studies and provided much of IALA's financial support.{{sfn|Bray|1971|loc=Foreword}} For example, Morris herself edited Sapir and [[Morris Swadesh]]'s 1932 cross-linguistic study of ending-point phenomena, and Collinson's 1937 study of indication. IALA also received support from groups such as the [[Carnegie Corporation]], the [[Ford Foundation]], the [[Research Corporation]], and the [[Rockefeller Foundation]].{{sfn|Gopsill|Sexton|2006a}}{{sfn|Gopsill|1990}}

In its early years, IALA concerned itself with three tasks: finding other organizations around the world with similar goals; building a library of books about languages and [[interlinguistics]]; and comparing extant IALs, including [[Esperanto]], [[Esperanto II]], [[Ido (language)|Ido]], [[Latino sine flexione|Peano's Interlingua]] (Latino sine flexione), [[Novial]], and [[Interlingue]] (Occidental). In pursuit of the last goal, it conducted parallel studies of these languages, with comparative studies of national languages.{{sfn|Bray|1971|loc=Foreword}}

At the Second International Interlanguage Congress, held in [[Geneva]] in 1931, IALA began to break new ground; 27 recognized linguists signed a testimonial of support for IALA's research program. An additional eight added their signatures at the third congress, convened in Rome in 1933.{{sfn|Gopsill|1990|pp=95–99}} That same year, [[Herbert N. Shenton]] and [[Edward Thorndike]] became influential in IALA's work by authoring studies in the interlinguistic field.{{sfn|Bray|1971|loc=Foreword}}

The first steps towards the finalization of Interlingua were taken in 1937, when a committee of 24 linguists from 19 universities published ''Some Criteria for an International Language and Commentary''. However, the outbreak of [[World War II]] in 1939 cut short the intended biannual meetings of the committee.{{sfn|Gopsill|1990|pp=99–101}}

===Development of a new language===
Originally, the association had not intended to create its own language. Its goal was to identify which auxiliary language already available was best suited for international communication, and how to promote it more effectively. However, after ten years of research, many members of IALA concluded that none of the existing [[interlanguage]]s were up to the task. By 1937, the members had made the decision to create a new language, to the surprise of the world's interlanguage community.{{sfn|Gopsill|Sexton|2006b}}

To that point, much of the debate had been equivocal on the decision to use naturalistic (e.g., [[Latino sine flexione|Peano's Interlingua]], [[Novial]] and [[Interlingue|Occidental]]) or systematic (e.g., [[Esperanto]] and [[Ido (language)|Ido]]) words. During the war years, proponents of a naturalistic interlanguage won out. The first support was Thorndike's paper; the second was a concession by proponents of the systematic languages that thousands of words were already present in many, or even a majority, of the European languages. Their argument was that systematic derivation of words was a [[Procrustes|Procrustean bed]], forcing the learner to unlearn and re-memorize a new derivation scheme when a usable vocabulary was already available.  IALA from that point assumed the position that a naturalistic language would be best.{{sfn|Gopsill|1990}}

IALA's research activities were based in [[Liverpool]], before relocating to [[New York City|New York]] due to the outbreak of [[World War II]], where [[E. Clark Stillman]] established a new research staff.{{sfn|Bray|1971|loc=Foreword}} Stillman, with the assistance of [[Alexander Gode]], constructed the methodology for selecting Interlingua vocabulary based on a comparison of control languages.{{sfn|Gopsill|1990}}

In 1943 Stillman left for war work and Gode became Acting Director of Research.{{sfn|Bray|1971|loc=Foreword}} IALA began to develop models of the proposed language, the first of which were presented in Morris's ''General Report'' in 1945.{{sfn|Gopsill|Sexton|2006b}}

===The four models===
From 1946 to 1948, French linguist [[André Martinet]] was Director of Research. During this period IALA continued to develop models and conducted polling to determine the optimal form of the final language. In 1946, IALA sent an extensive survey to more than 3,000 language teachers and related professionals on three continents.{{sfn|Gopsill|1990}}{{sfn|Gopsill|Sexton|2006c}}

Model P was unchanged from 1945; Model M was relatively modern in comparison to more classical P. Model K was slightly modified in the direction of Ido.  The resulting four models that were canvassed were:{{sfn|Gopsill|1990}}

{| border=0
|- valign=top
| &nbsp; || Model&nbsp;P || &nbsp; || highly&nbsp;naturalistic, with word forms unchanged from the prototypes
|- valign=top
| &nbsp; || Model&nbsp;M || &nbsp; || moderately&nbsp;naturalistic, similar to Occidental
|- valign=top
| &nbsp; || Model&nbsp;C || &nbsp; || slightly&nbsp;schematic, along the lines of Novial
|- valign=top
| &nbsp; || Model&nbsp;K || &nbsp; || moderately&nbsp;schematic, similar to Ido (less schematic than Esperanto){{sfn|Gopsill|Sexton|2006b}}
|}
An example sentence:
{| border=0  
|- valign=top
| &nbsp; || Model&nbsp;P || &nbsp; || highly&nbsp;naturalistic || &nbsp; || {{Lang|ia|Jo habe nascite, o dea cum le oculos azure, de parentes barbare, inter le bone et virtuose Cimmerios}}
|- valign=top
| &nbsp; || Model&nbsp;M || &nbsp; || moderately&nbsp;naturalistic || &nbsp; ||{{Lang|ia|Io have nascit, o dea con le ocules azur, de parentes barbar, inter le bon e virtuos Cimmerios}}
|- valign=top
| &nbsp; || Model&nbsp;C || &nbsp; || slightly&nbsp;schematic || &nbsp; ||{{Lang|ia|Yo ha nascet, o deessa con le ocules azur, de parentes barbar, inter le bon e virtuose Cimerios}}
|- valign=top
| &nbsp; || Model&nbsp;K || &nbsp; || moderately&nbsp;schematic || &nbsp; ||{{Lang|ia|Yo naskeba, o dea kon le okuli azure, de parenti barbare, inter le bone e virtuose Kimerii}}
|- valign=top
| &nbsp; || colspan=3 | (modern Interlingua) || &nbsp; ||{{Lang|ia|Io ha nascite, o dea con le oculos azur, de parentes barbar, inter le bon e virtuose Cimmerios}}
|- valign=top
| &nbsp; || colspan=3 | (English) || &nbsp; ||'I was born, O goddess with the blue eyes, of barbarian relations, among the good and virtuous Cimmerians'
|}

The vote total ended up as follows: P 26.6%, M 37.5%, C 20%, and K 15%.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://anno.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno-plus?aid=e0g&datum=1948&page=102&size=45|title=Cosmoglotta A, 1948, p. 101}}</ref>  The two more schematic models, C and K, were rejected.  Of the two naturalistic models, M attracted somewhat more support than P. Taking national biases into account (for example, the French who were polled disproportionately favored Model M), IALA decided on a compromise between models M and P, with certain elements of C.{{sfn|Gopsill|Sexton|2006c}}

===Finalization===
The German-American Gode and the French Martinet did not get along.{{sfn|Gopsill|1990|p=103}} Martinet resigned and took up a position at [[Columbia University]] in 1948, and Gode took on the last phase of Interlingua's development.{{sfn|Bray|1971|loc=Foreword}} His task was to combine elements of Model M and Model P; take the flaws seen in both by the polled community and repair them with elements of Model C as needed; and develop a vocabulary.  Alice Vanderbilt Morris died in 1950, and the funding that had sustained IALA ceased, but sufficient funds remained to publish a dictionary and grammar.{{sfn|Gopsill|1990|p=103}} The vocabulary and grammar of Interlingua were first presented in 1951, when IALA published the finalized ''[[Interlingua: A Grammar of the International Language|Interlingua Grammar]]'' and the [[Interlingua–English Dictionary]] (IED). In 1954, IALA published an introductory manual entitled ''[[Interlingua a Prime Vista]]'' ("Interlingua at First Sight").

Interlingua as presented by the IALA is very close to [[Latino sine flexione|Peano's Interlingua]] (Latino sine flexione), both in its grammar and especially in its vocabulary. A distinct abbreviation was adopted: IA instead of IL.

===Interlingua's first decades===
An early practical application of Interlingua was the scientific newsletter ''Spectroscopia Molecular'', published from 1952 to 1980.{{sfn|Breinstrup|2006b}} In 1954, the Second World Cardiological Congress in Washington, D.C. released summaries of its talks in both English and Interlingua. Within a few years, it found similar use at nine further medical congresses. Between the mid-1950s and the late 1970s, some thirty scientific and medical journals provided article summaries in Interlingua.{{sfn|Gopsill|1990|pp=104–106}} Gode wrote a monthly column in Interlingua in the ''Science Newsletter'' published by the [[Society for Science and the Public|Science Service]] from the early 1950s until his death in 1970.

[[International Auxiliary Language Association|IALA]] closed its doors in 1953 but was not formally dissolved until 1956 or later.{{sfn|Breinstrup|Stenström|Olsson|2007}} Its role in promoting Interlingua was largely taken on by Science Service,{{sfn|Gopsill|Sexton|2006c}} which hired Gode as head of its newly formed [[Interlingua Division of Science Service|Interlingua Division]].{{sfn|Breinstrup|Stenström|Olsson|2012}} [[Hugh E. Blair]], Gode's close friend and colleague, became his assistant.{{sfn|Breinstrup|2006d}} A successor organization, the Interlingua Institute,{{sfn|Breinstrup|Stenström|Olsson|2009}} was founded in 1970 to promote Interlingua in the US and Canada. The new institute supported the work of other linguistic organizations, made considerable scholarly contributions and produced Interlingua summaries for scholarly and medical publications. One of its largest achievements was two immense volumes on phytopathology produced by the American Phytopathological Society in 1976 and 1977.{{sfn|Breinstrup|Stenström|Olsson|2007}}

Beginning in the 1980s, UMI has held international conferences every two years (typical attendance at the earlier meetings was 50 to 100) and launched a publishing programme that eventually produced over 100 volumes.{{sfn|Le Union Mundial pro Interlingua}}{{sfn|Breinstrup|Stenström|Olsson|2007}} Several [[Scandinavia]]n schools undertook projects that used Interlingua as a means of teaching the international scientific and intellectual vocabulary.{{sfn|Breinstrup|2006c}}

In 2000, the Interlingua Institute was dissolved amid funding disputes with the UMI; the American Interlingua Society, established the following year, succeeded the institute.{{sfn|Breinstrup|Stenström|Olsson|2009}}

===Interlingua today===
The original goal of an interlanguage meant for global events has faced competition from [[English as a lingua franca]] and [[International English]] in the 21st century.  The scientific community frequently uses English in international conferences and publications, for example, rather than Interlingua.  However, the rise of the Internet has made it easier for the general public with an interest in constructed languages to learn Interlingua.  Interlingua is promoted internationally by the Union Mundial pro Interlingua. Periodicals and books are produced by national organizations, such as the Societate American pro Interlingua, the Svenska Sällskapet för Interlingua, and the Union Brazilian pro Interlingua.{{sfn|Breinstrup|Stenström|Olsson|2009}}

''[[Panorama in Interlingua]]'' is the most prominent of several Interlingua periodicals. It is a 28-page magazine published bimonthly that covers current events, science, editorials, and Interlingua.