Archive for 'Esperanto Language'
Try, Try Again Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 30, 2009
In a continuing tradition of specific verbs, Esperanto has multiple different ways of saying things that would all be grouped under “to try” in English. Think of some of the vastly different contexts in which you use the verb “try” in your daily life, and you’ll begin to see why Esperanto has a few varied…
Fi- on ye! Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 26, 2009
Sometimes it can be tempting to throw down an Latin- or English- sounding word, tack a relevant Esperanto suffix on the end, and hope the word works properly. In some cases, it can be a viable strategy – think of the verb “halti,” which means “to halt,” or the preposition “kun” (with) which is remarkably…
Fun with Infixes: -estr- Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 25, 2009
Taken on its own, the word “estro” means a leader (or, more colloquially, a boss or a chief). You can put -estr- into a word to create specific types of leaders. Sxipestro (sxip- + -estr- + -o) = Ship’s captain Lernestro (lern- + -estr- + -o) = Principal, professor, etc. Urbestro (urb- + -estr- +…
Another Verb to Watch: Spezi Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 20, 2009
The useful Esperanto verb “spezi” is often used when a situation involves money. “Spezi” connotes some kind of transaction. However, the verb on its own means either “to pay out” or “to take in” or “to earn.” This might strike you as odd, that a single word should mean two opposite things! There’s a world…
Translation Theory Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 19, 2009
What should translators be looking to preserve when they translate an existing work into Esperanto? Believe it or not, this is one of the first major issues Zamenhof tackled when he invented Esperanto. He painstakingly translated the Old Testament from Latin in hopes of capturing the beauty he perceived in it, while remaining faithful (no…
One-Word Phrasing Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 6, 2009
Much like German, Esperanto lends itself well to condensing phrases into single words. Given its abundance of prefixes, suffixes, and infixes, this shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise! Take for example the Esperanto word “alialandulo.” If we break it up, we have the adjective “alia,” meaning “other;” “land-,” which means “land” or “country;”…
We Have Shatner, Too! Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 6, 2009
The year was 1965. Star Trek had yet to grace the television screens of science fiction fans. A young William Shatner was but another actor looking to make his big break. The entirely Esperanto film Angoroj (Agonies) had been produced a year earlier, thereby demonstrating that movies could indeed be made in Esperanto. And so…