Editing Interlingua (section)

=== International Auxiliary Language Association ===
The IALA became a major supporter of mainstream American linguistics. Numerous studies by Sapir, Collinson, and [[Morris Swadesh]] in the 1930s and 1940s, for example, were funded by IALA. Alice Morris edited several of these studies and provided much of IALA's financial support.{{sfn|Bray|1971|loc=Foreword}} For example, Morris herself edited Sapir and [[Morris Swadesh]]'s 1932 cross-linguistic study of ending-point phenomena, and Collinson's 1937 study of indication. IALA also received support from groups such as the [[Carnegie Corporation]], the [[Ford Foundation]], the [[Research Corporation]], and the [[Rockefeller Foundation]].{{sfn|Gopsill|Sexton|2006a}}{{sfn|Gopsill|1990}}

In its early years, IALA concerned itself with three tasks: finding other organizations around the world with similar goals; building a library of books about languages and [[interlinguistics]]; and comparing extant IALs, including [[Esperanto]], [[Esperanto II]], [[Ido (language)|Ido]], [[Latino sine flexione|Peano's Interlingua]] (Latino sine flexione), [[Novial]], and [[Interlingue]] (Occidental). In pursuit of the last goal, it conducted parallel studies of these languages, with comparative studies of national languages.{{sfn|Bray|1971|loc=Foreword}}

At the Second International Interlanguage Congress, held in [[Geneva]] in 1931, IALA began to break new ground; 27 recognized linguists signed a testimonial of support for IALA's research program. An additional eight added their signatures at the third congress, convened in Rome in 1933.{{sfn|Gopsill|1990|pp=95–99}} That same year, [[Herbert N. Shenton]] and [[Edward Thorndike]] became influential in IALA's work by authoring studies in the interlinguistic field.{{sfn|Bray|1971|loc=Foreword}}

The first steps towards the finalization of Interlingua were taken in 1937, when a committee of 24 linguists from 19 universities published ''Some Criteria for an International Language and Commentary''. However, the outbreak of [[World War II]] in 1939 cut short the intended biannual meetings of the committee.{{sfn|Gopsill|1990|pp=99–101}}