Lojban Language

   
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What is lojban?

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Lojban is a constructed language with many fascinating features. It has:


Why should I care?

There are probably as many reasons for learning lojban as there are people who learn it, but here are a few:


What?

To see why learning lojban might help, even probably will help, in learning other languages, consider ...

It's generally accepted that, broadly speaking, learning your first non-cradle language takes about 4 years of study, and then each subsequent language takes about two years. The difference comes because part of learning your first language is breaking old habits and finding your best way to learn ...

Lojban, in contrast with natural languages, can be learned in just a few weeks, and fluency can be achieved in just a few months of study and practice. Not being a natural language it's quite likely that some of the "new language" benefits aren't there, but even so, if learning lojban can shave six months off learning your first non-cradle natural language, then it's still faster to learn lojban first, and then learn another language.

Perhaps lojban may even be the new Latin - that's starting to be used again in schools ...


Examples

Here are some small samples:

mi cu tavla do I talk to you
mi cu tavla do ti I talk to you about this_thing_here_at_which_I_point
mi cu tavla do ta I talk to you about that_thing_there_at_which_I_point
mi cu tavla do la lojban I talk to you about the thing called lojban
mi cu tavla do le zarci I talk to you about the market
lo zarci cu barda The market is big
mi pu tavla I spoke
mi pu tavla lo barda zarci I spoke about the big market
mi pu tavla I spoke
mi pupu tavla I had spoken
mi pupuzi tavla I had just spoken
do ba tavla fi lo zarci You will speak about the market
mi puzi citka I have just eaten


Test yourself ...

If you're at all interested in cryptography or puzzles you may try to work out how to say: and if you hunt a little on the 'net you should be able to translate: There's huge amount more about lojban on the 'net, but if you want to know more you can send mailto:lojban@solipsys.co.uk or visit the lojban web site: http://www.lojban.org

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