Frenkisch

Frenkisch is an a-posteriori constructed language. Its eight source languages are English, Dutch, German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, French and Russian. It is an attempt to make a language that is a mixture of multiple modern Germanic languages. It is intended to look like a typical Germanic language in vocabulary and phonology. It also has significant Romance and Slavic influences. The approach in building it, is based on the Interlingua method but with a sample of mainly Germanic languages.

There are five source language units:

1. English
2. Dutch
3. German
4. Danish, Norwegian and Swedish
5. French and Russian.

The three Scandinavian languages are treated as one source language unit. French and Russian are treated as secondary source languages - they count as a maximum of one source language unit.

Linguistic features (such as grammar, words or sounds) require the presence of cognates in at least three of the source language units. The forms of words are derived by regular evolution from etymological prototypes.

Relationship to Folksprak

Frenkisch is related to Folksprak. It is lexically very similar - the vocabulary building efforts for both languages are largely compatible and re-usable. However Frenkisch uses a different phonology and orthography to Folksprak, so the forms of cognate words are often different. For example Frenkisch ryde \ˈraɪdə\ means the same as Folksprak ride \ˈriːdə\ and both are based on the same sources. But they have different spelling and pronunciation. Also Frenkisch ryde is a strong/irregular verb (past tense reid-; past participle riden), whereas Folksprak ride is regular (past tense ridede; past participle rided). One of the main criteria for designing Folksprak has been simplicity of learning. This is less of a priority for Frenkisch. Consequently Frenkisch has a more complicated grammar and less regular spelling system.

Grammar

Case

There is no inflection for case with the exception of personal pronouns. Personal pronouns have forms for singular and plural; first, second and third person, and third person singular pronouns also have feminine, masculine or neuter gender. Personal pronouns have three cases; subjective, objective (a merge of accusative and dative) and possessive (genitive)

Number

Nouns

Nouns form the plural by adding either a -en or a -s suffix -- depending on the stress pattern of the stem.

Verbs

Finite verbs inflect for number, but not for person. There is a distinction between verbs of singular subject and of plural subjects. The present plural of verbs is identical to the infinitive. There are some irregular verbs and these have further distinctions in form which are likewise distinguished by number.

Text Sample:

“Werklik, prys ick an de luttel husar,” roup’d de cantinière. “De jong burger ha en dapper hert.” Korporal Aubry marschir’d forby auten sege en word. Acht oder tejn soldaten leup’de fort ond kame tousamen mid him. Hi leided deim tourugg en greut eik, omgeven mid braimberes. Hwann kam hi dair, hi setted deim fort de rand af de bosch, noch auten sege en word, an en wyd streck’d front, eilk mann stond toumindest tejn schreden af de naixte.

("I really recommend the little hussar," called the cantinière. The young bourgeois has a brave heart." Corporal Aubry marched past without saying a word. Eight or ten soldiers ran forth and joined him. He led them behind a large oak, surrounded with brambles. When he came there, he deployed them along the edge of the thicket, still without saying a word, on a widely extended front, each man stood at least ten paces from the next.) Extract of translation of The Charterhouse of Parma, by Stendhal.

Links

Frenkisch Grammar (pdf) [1]

Frenkofonie -- Online English-Frenkisch and Frenkisch-English Dictionaries [2]

The Great Frenkisch Dictionary (pdf) [3]

Frenkisch to English Dictionary (html) [4]

English to Frenkisch Dictionary (html) [5]