What is Novial?
{{Infobox language |name = Novial |nativename = novial |creator = [[Otto Jespersen]] (1928) |setting = [[International auxiliary language]] |family = [[constructed language]] based on [[Indo-European languages]] |image = Flag of Novial.svg |imagesize = 140px |iso1 = |iso2 = |iso3 = nov |linglist = }} '''Novial''' is a constructed [[international auxiliary language]] (IAL) for universal communication between speakers of different native languages. It was created by [[Otto Jespersen]], a Danish linguist. He who had been involved in the Ido movement, and later in the development of Interlingua. Its vocabulary is based on the [[Germanic languages|Germanic]] and [[Romance languages]]. Its grammar is influenced by [[English language|English]]. == History == Jespersen introduced Novial in his book ''An International Language'' in 1928. He updated it in his dictionary Novial Lexike in 1930. He proposed several modifications in the 1930s. However, the language became dormant with Jespersen's death in 1943. In the 1990s, with the revival of interest in constructed languages brought on by the Internet, some people rediscovered Novial. == Grammar == Novial has a simple and regular grammar. The main [[word order]] is [[Subject–verb–object|SVO]]. There is no grammatical gender (but the sex or gender of referrents can be marked). Verbs don't change according to person or number, and don't have exceptions. ===Articles=== The definite article is ''li'' which doesn't change. It is used as in English. There is no indefinite article, although ''un'' (one) can be used. ===Nouns=== Nouns mainly end in '''e, a, o, u''' or '''um''' in singular. The plural noun is formed by adding '''–s''' to the singular ('''-es''' after a consonant). There is also a form for indefinite number, expressed by removing the ending of the noun in singular (''leone'' – lion, ''leon es kruel'' – a/the lion is cruel, or lions are cruel).<ref>Jespersen, O: ''[https://digital.onb.ac.at/RepViewer/viewer.faces?doc=D