Solresol
Encyclopedia
Solresol is an artificial language devised by François Sudre
, beginning in 1827. He published his major book on it, Langue musicale universelle, in 1866, though he had already been publicizing it for some years. Solresol enjoyed a brief spell of popularity, reaching its pinnacle with Boleslas Gajewski
's 1902 posthumous publication of Grammaire du Solresol.
s, which may in turn be accented or lengthened. There is another phoneme, silence, which is used to separate words: words cannot be run together as they are in English.
The phonemes can be represented in a number of different ways – as the seven musical notes in an octave
, as spoken syllables (based on solfège
, a way of identifying musical notes), with the seven colours of the rainbow, symbols, hand gestures etc. Thus, theoretically Solresol communication can be done through speaking, singing, flags of different color – even painting.
, or note. Words beginning with 'sol' have meanings related to art
s and science
s, or, if they begin with 'solsol', sickness
and medicine
(e.g., solresol, "language"; solsolredo, "migraine"). Like other constructed language
s with a priori
vocabulary, Solresol faces considerable problems in categorizing the real world around it sensibly. The last couple of syllables may be arbitrary, to capture distinctions such as "apple" vs "pear" which do not fit simple categories.
Feminine words are formed by accenting the last syllable, and plurals by lengthening it.
A unique feature of Solresol is that meanings are negated by reversing the syllables in words. For instance fala means good or tasty, and lafa means bad. It is unclear how this interacts with the way words are categorized by their first note.
The following table shows the words of up to two syllables:
* Feminine versions are formed by stressing the last syllable.
Solresol marks feminine gender and plural number, by stressing or lengthening the last syllable a word:
This only affects the first word in a noun phrase
. That is, it only affects a noun when the noun is alone, as above; any determiner ('the', 'my', etc.) will take the gender or number marking instead:
Parts of speech are derived from verbs by lengthening (or stressing?) one of the syllables: abstract noun (1st syllable), agent/doer (2nd syllable), adjective (penult), adverb (last syllable). For example,
Questions are formed by inverted subject and verb.
The various tense-and-mood
particles are the double syllables, as given in vocabulary above. In addition, passive verbs are formed with faremi between this particle and the verb. The subjunctive is formed with mire before the pronoun. The negative do only appears once in the clause, before the word it negates.
The word fasi before a noun or adjective is augmentative
; after it is superlative
. Sifa is the opposite (diminutive
):
The teaching of sign languages to the deaf and mute was discouraged between 1880 and 1991
in France, contributing to Solresol's descent into obscurity. After a few years of popularity, it faded into obscurity in the face of more successful languages such as Volapük
and Esperanto
. Despite this, there is still a small community of Solresol enthusiasts scattered across the world, better able to communicate with one another now than before the advent of the Internet
.
François Sudre
Jean-François Sudre was a French author and musician born in Albi, France in 1787 and died in Paris in 1862.He is best known for his work on developing a musical language called Solresol, as well as patenting the Sudrophone.- External links :*...
, beginning in 1827. He published his major book on it, Langue musicale universelle, in 1866, though he had already been publicizing it for some years. Solresol enjoyed a brief spell of popularity, reaching its pinnacle with Boleslas Gajewski
Boleslas Gajewski
Boleslas Gajewski, son of Vincent Gajewski , was the author of the grammar of the musical language Solresol, published in 1902.-External links:*...
's 1902 posthumous publication of Grammaire du Solresol.
Phonology
Solresol words are made up of from one to five syllables or notes. Each of these may be one of only seven basic phonemePhoneme
In a language or dialect, a phoneme is the smallest segmental unit of sound employed to form meaningful contrasts between utterances....
s, which may in turn be accented or lengthened. There is another phoneme, silence, which is used to separate words: words cannot be run together as they are in English.
The phonemes can be represented in a number of different ways – as the seven musical notes in an octave
Octave
In music, an octave is the interval between one musical pitch and another with half or double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been referred to as the "basic miracle of music", the use of which is "common in most musical systems"...
, as spoken syllables (based on solfège
Solfege
In music, solfège is a pedagogical solmization technique for the teaching of sight-singing in which each note of the score is sung to a special syllable, called a solfège syllable...
, a way of identifying musical notes), with the seven colours of the rainbow, symbols, hand gestures etc. Thus, theoretically Solresol communication can be done through speaking, singing, flags of different color – even painting.
Vocabulary
As in Ro, the longer words are divided into categories of meaning, based on their first syllableSyllable
A syllable is a unit of organization for a sequence of speech sounds. For example, the word water is composed of two syllables: wa and ter. A syllable is typically made up of a syllable nucleus with optional initial and final margins .Syllables are often considered the phonological "building...
, or note. Words beginning with 'sol' have meanings related to art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
s and science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
s, or, if they begin with 'solsol', sickness
Sickness
Sickness may refer to:* Illness* Disease* Nausea* Sickness behaviorIn popular culture:* The Sickness, an album by Disturbed* The Sickness , a book in the Animorphs series...
and medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
(e.g., solresol, "language"; solsolredo, "migraine"). Like other constructed language
Constructed language
A planned or constructed language—known colloquially as a conlang—is a language whose phonology, grammar, and/or vocabulary has been consciously devised by an individual or group, instead of having evolved naturally...
s with a priori
A priori (languages)
An a priori language is any constructed language whose vocabulary is not based on existing languages, unlike a posteriori constructed languages. Examples of a priori languages include Ro, Solresol, Mirad, Klingon, and Na'vi...
vocabulary, Solresol faces considerable problems in categorizing the real world around it sensibly. The last couple of syllables may be arbitrary, to capture distinctions such as "apple" vs "pear" which do not fit simple categories.
Feminine words are formed by accenting the last syllable, and plurals by lengthening it.
A unique feature of Solresol is that meanings are negated by reversing the syllables in words. For instance fala means good or tasty, and lafa means bad. It is unclear how this interacts with the way words are categorized by their first note.
The following table shows the words of up to two syllables:
| First (below) and second (right) syllables | No second syllable | -do | | -re | | -mi | | -fa | | -sol | | -la | | -si |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Do- | no, not, neither, nor | (past) | I, me | you [sg] | he | self, oneself | one, someone | other |
| Re- | and, as well as | my, mine | (pluperfect) | your, yours [sg] | his | our, ours | your, yours [pl] | their |
| Mi- | or, or even | for, in order to/that | who, which (rel pron), that (conj) | (future) | whose, of which | well (adv) | here/there is, behold | good evening/night |
| Fa- | to | what? | with, jointly | this, that | (conditional) | why, for what reason | good, tasty, delectable | much, very, extremely |
| Sol- | if | but | in, within | wrong, ill (adv) | because | (imperative) | perpetually, always, without end, without ceasing | thank, thanks |
| La- | the | nothing, no one, nobody | by | here, there | bad | never, at no time | (present participle) | of |
| Si- | yes, okay, gladly, agreed | the same (thing) | each, every | good morning/afternoon | little, scarcely | mister, sir* | young man, bachelor* | (passive participle) |
Grammar
Apart from stress and length, solresol words are not inflected. Word order is also rather strict.Solresol marks feminine gender and plural number, by stressing or lengthening the last syllable a word:
- resimire brother, resimiré sister
- resimiree brothers, resimiréé sisters
This only affects the first word in a noun phrase
Noun phrase
In grammar, a noun phrase, nominal phrase, or nominal group is a phrase based on a noun, pronoun, or other noun-like word optionally accompanied by modifiers such as adjectives....
. That is, it only affects a noun when the noun is alone, as above; any determiner ('the', 'my', etc.) will take the gender or number marking instead:
- redo resimire my brother, redó resimire my sister
- redoo resimire my brothers, redóó resimire my sisters
Parts of speech are derived from verbs by lengthening (or stressing?) one of the syllables: abstract noun (1st syllable), agent/doer (2nd syllable), adjective (penult), adverb (last syllable). For example,
- midofa to prefer, miidofa preference, midoofa preferable, midofaa preferably
- resolmila to continue, reesolmila continuation, resoolmila one who continues, resolmiila continual, resolmilaa continually
Questions are formed by inverted subject and verb.
The various tense-and-mood
TAM
-Finance:* Total addressable market, a financial term used to reference the revenue opportunity available for a product or service- Military :* TAM – Transporte Aéreo Militar , an airline in Bolivia...
particles are the double syllables, as given in vocabulary above. In addition, passive verbs are formed with faremi between this particle and the verb. The subjunctive is formed with mire before the pronoun. The negative do only appears once in the clause, before the word it negates.
The word fasi before a noun or adjective is augmentative
Augmentative
An augmentative is a morphological form of a word which expresses greater intensity, often in size, but also in other attributes...
; after it is superlative
Superlative
In grammar, the superlative is the form of an adjective that indicates that the person or thing modified has the quality of the adjective to a degree greater than that of anything it is being compared to in a given context. English superlatives are typically formed with the suffix -est In...
. Sifa is the opposite (diminutive
Diminutive
In language structure, a diminutive, or diminutive form , is a formation of a word used to convey a slight degree of the root meaning, smallness of the object or quality named, encapsulation, intimacy, or endearment...
):
- fala good, fasi fala very good, fala fasi excellent, the best; sifa fala okay, fala sifa not very good (and similarly with lafa bad)
- sisire wind, fasi sisire gale, sisire fasi cyclone; sifa sisire breeze, sisire sifa movement of air
Additional features
Additional features of Solresol include:- highly impartial (equally easy or difficult for everyone, like other a priori constructed languages)
- integrated systems (signsSign languageA sign language is a language which, instead of acoustically conveyed sound patterns, uses visually transmitted sign patterns to convey meaning—simultaneously combining hand shapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to fluidly express a speaker's...
, colors, etc.) for most different handicappedDisabilityA disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...
people, immediately operative without special learning) - gives fast learning success to illiterate people (only 7 syllables or signs or 10 letters to know and to recognize)
- it presents no pronunciation difficulties
- very simple but effective system to differentiate the function of the words in the sentences
The teaching of sign languages to the deaf and mute was discouraged between 1880 and 1991
French Sign Language
French Sign Language is the sign language of the deaf in the nation of France. According to Ethnologue, it has 50,000 to 100,000 native signers....
in France, contributing to Solresol's descent into obscurity. After a few years of popularity, it faded into obscurity in the face of more successful languages such as Volapük
Volapük
Volapük is a constructed language, created in 1879–1880 by Johann Martin Schleyer, a Roman Catholic priest in Baden, Germany. Schleyer felt that God had told him in a dream to create an international language. Volapük conventions took place in 1884 , 1887 and 1889 . The first two conventions used...
and Esperanto
Esperanto
is the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Its name derives from Doktoro Esperanto , the pseudonym under which L. L. Zamenhof published the first book detailing Esperanto, the Unua Libro, in 1887...
. Despite this, there is still a small community of Solresol enthusiasts scattered across the world, better able to communicate with one another now than before the advent of the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
.
See also
- SolfegeSolfegeIn music, solfège is a pedagogical solmization technique for the teaching of sight-singing in which each note of the score is sung to a special syllable, called a solfège syllable...
- Musical languageMusical languageMusical languages are languages based on musical sounds, either instead of or in addition to articulation. They can be categorized as constructed languages, and as whistled languages. Whistled languages are dependent on an underlying articulatory language, in actual use in various cultures as a...
- Tonic sol-faTonic sol-faTonic sol-fa is a pedagogical technique for teaching sight-singing, invented by Sarah Ann Glover of Norwich, England and popularised by John Curwen who adapted it from a number of earlier musical systems...
- Voyage to FaremidoVoyage to FaremidoVoyage to Faremido is a fantastic novel by Frigyes Karinthy. It presents beings who not only understand the secrets of nature, but they are the secret of nature themselves — they are nature personified.- Content :...
- Sarus (language)Sarus (language)Sarus is an artificial language created by the Adobe Flash animator Adam Phillips.-Construction:Sarus consists of syllables which, when communicated, consist of symbols, tones, numbers, colors, gestures, or portions of a glyph...
External links
- Langmaker.com about Solresol
- html-version of the text of the book of François Sudre edition from 1866, Gajewski's Grammar of Solresol, edition 1902, translated in different languages, dictionary of Solresol with more than 13.000 French equivalents in a MySQL data base, and different other texts on artificial languages (EsperantoEsperantois the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Its name derives from Doktoro Esperanto , the pseudonym under which L. L. Zamenhof published the first book detailing Esperanto, the Unua Libro, in 1887...
from 1897, IdoIdoIdo is a constructed language created with the goal of becoming a universal second language for speakers of different linguistic backgrounds as a language easier to learn than ethnic languages...
from 1908, OccidentalOccidental languageThe language Occidental, later Interlingue, is a planned language created by the Balto-German naval officer and teacher Edgar de Wahl and published in 1922....
from 1930, and soon, UniversalglotUniversalglotUniversalglot is an a posteriori international auxiliary language published by the French linguist Jean Pirro in 1868 in Tentative d'une langue universelle, Enseignement, grammaire, vocabulaire...
, Jean PirroJean PirroJean Pirro was a French linguist who in 1868 invented the "universal language", Universalglot. He was also the father of André Pirro.-See also:*Constructed languages...
, from 1868) - Omniglot on the various ways of writing Solresol
- The Athanasius Kircher Society's blog entry on Solresol
- Grammar of Solresol by Boleslas Gajewski
- Solresol-English/French Mini-Dictionary
- Solresol text collection including full Solresol–French dictionary