Tag Archives: vocabulary
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…
More Applications of “Sidi” Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 4, 2009
The Esperanto verb “sidi” literally means “to sit.” As such, you can use it in the most literal sense possible. Sidu, mi petas. – Sit, please. Though we may not be so poetic when speaking English, the verb “sidi” can be used in a variety of metaphorical senses that may not be as intuitive as…
Confusing “De” and “Da” Posted by Transparent Language on Mar 29, 2009
Esperanto has two similar prepositions, “de” and “da,” that mean two different things but are similar enough to trip up students of other languages. Having studied Spanish as my first excursion into foreign language, “de” and “da” manage to confuse me on occasion. We shall have a look at them here today. “De” roughly means…
Don’t Confuse These Infixes! Posted by Transparent Language on Mar 25, 2009
Sometimes you’ll encounter words in Esperanto have have the infixes “-ec-” or “-ecx-.” When written, they look almost the same at a glance. However, there’s a world of difference between the two of them, so be sure not to confuse them! The infix “-ec-” denotes a state of being, much like the English suffix “-ness.”…
Non-Intuitive Opposites Posted by Transparent Language on Mar 23, 2009
You can essentially double your Esperanto vocabulary simply by using the prefix “mal-.” Unlike in English “mal-” does not indicate negativity; it simply means that the word containing the prefix must be treated as its opposite. It does not work for nouns, necessarily – “malviro” does not mean “woman,” for example. You would use “malvarma”…