Re: Esperanto and Interlingua

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 13:14:07 +0100: Ruud Harmsen
<realemailonsite@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>: in sci.lang:

12 Mar 2007 04:49:39 -0700: "Peter T. Daniels"
<grammatim@xxxxxxxxxxx>: in sci.lang:

Is malgranda = small also 'dangerous, evil'?

If the language has no way of distinguishing between "small" and "not
big," then it's a pretty piss-poor language.

Malgranda doesn't mean "not big" but "the contrary of big", i.e.
small. Cf. malvarma = cold.

And (in my opinion, but perhaps those who really know Esperanto
disagree):
varmega = very hot
malvarmega = very cold
varmeta = rather hot, warmish
malvarmeta = a bit cold, coldish
fimalvarma = unpleasantly cold, f***ing cold.
etc.
and arguably perhaps even:
warmacxja, warmetacxja = pleasantly warm, spring-like.
although -cxj is probably meant to reserved for people.

These possibilities are rarely used, because most users employ the
language is ways resembling their own language. But the mechanisms
exist in Esperanto, which is what makes it unique.

--
Ruud Harmsen - http://rudhar.com


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