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by lucasrp 4667 days ago
Create a non-English based programming language is very different from translating a english programming language. Different languages have different ways to express time, state, etc. If one translates a english programming language, it will be a translated English based programming language (not a Non-English base...)

I`m a native portuguese speaker, for example. In portuguese, we "break" the "to be" verb in two forms: The "ser" verb to denominate an immutable state like "The sun is hot" and a "estar" verb to denominate a transitory state "It is hot today".

My guess is that, if programming languages were made since the beginning with a language like that, the coding world would be a more pleasant place today. Things like differenciate mutable/immutable state would be much more natural.

So, it`s possible even to create a Non-English based programming language IN English. Russian, japanese, etc. languages have their peculiarities, that could shape coding very different than what it is today.

Ruby it`s a nice example of it. Just google about the subject, and found this material (http://blog.new-bamboo.co.uk/2010/12/17/learning-japanese-th...)

Any rubyist-japanese-speaker who would like to give some thoughts on the subject?

2 comments

Interesting article, maybe a bit far-fetched towards the end. Correct link:

http://blog.new-bamboo.co.uk/2010/12/17/learning-japanese-th...

As another Portuguese speaker, I don't think that "ser" is all that immutable; it describes plenty of non-intrinsic and/or immutable properties. In fact, the verb is used extremely often in the past tense, which shows that in Portuguese the objects often change what they "are".