Alexander Gode facts for kids

Alexander Gottfried Friedrich Gode-von Aesch (born October 30, 1906 – died August 10, 1970) was an American linguist and translator. He is most famous for leading the creation of Interlingua. This is an auxiliary language designed to help people from different countries communicate easily.

About Alexander Gode

Alexander Gode was born in Bremen, Germany. His father was German and his mother was Swiss. He studied at universities in Vienna, Austria, and Paris, France. Later, he moved to the United States and became an American citizen in 1927.

Gode taught at the University of Chicago and Columbia University. He earned his Ph.D. in Germanic Studies from Columbia University in 1939. He passed away in 1970.

Creating Interlingua

Alexander Gode started working with the International Auxiliary Language Association (IALA) in 1933. This group wanted to create a new international language. In 1939, Gode was hired to help with this important project.

What is Interlingua?

Interlingua is a constructed language. It was not invented from scratch. Instead, Gode and his team looked at words that are already similar in many European languages. They then chose and adjusted these words to form a common language. The idea was to make a language that people who speak different European languages could understand easily. It was like finding the "international vocabulary" that already existed.

In 1951, the first dictionary and grammar book for Interlingua were published. After 1953, Gode continued his work on Interlingua. He translated many scientific and medical texts into the language. He even won awards for his translation work.

American Translators Association

Alexander Gode was a key person in starting the American Translators Association (ATA). This is a group for translators in the United States. He was their first president from 1960 to 1963.

To honor his work, the ATA gives out the Alexander Gode Medal. This award recognizes people who have done great things for the translation and interpreting fields.

See Also

In Spanish: Alexander Gode para niños

• American Translators Association
• Interlingua
• Language education
• Translation