Re: Indonesian and Esperanto

From: Patrick Powers (frisbieinstein_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 07/16/04 

Date: 16 Jul 2004 06:25:25 -0700

jaredleto_usa@hotmail.com (Jared) wrote in message news:<499e7f49.0407150008.453a634b@posting.google.com>...
>.....
> This above is true. In the more esoteric usage of the language, the
> suffix -kan is distinguished from -i. Even native speakers have
> trouble with these; in some cases (speaking for myself) the
> distinction seems artificial; the case of grammar prescribed so that
> the language would conform to some ideal of consistency. (As a result,
> the spoken, everyday language seems wildly ungrammatical from the POV
> of that ideal. Using the "correct" prescribed Malay guarantees the
> speaker a curious look from the person on the street.)
>
> Consider the base verb to give (as a present).
>
> Saya menghadiahi dia sebuah buku
> I gave him a book.
>
> saya menghadiahkan buku kepada dia.
> I gave a book to him.
>
> [M]enghadiahi sounds pretentious, silly, and unnatural; an artificial
> contrivance devised for the sake of consistency.

I have been hoping to ask someone. Indonesian/Malaysian is so
regular: did this happen naturally or is it somehow prescribed?