Re: Esperanto and Interlingua


Ruud Harmsen wrote:
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.

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

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.

So there's one of the ways Esperanto differs from any human language.

I wonder whether Orwell modeled Doublespeak on Esperanto. I wouldn't
be surprised; he had a rather jaded view of utopianists.

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Esperanto and Interlingua
    ... If the language has no way of distinguishing between "small" and "not ... Cf. malvarma = cold. ... but perhaps those who really know Esperanto ...
    (sci.lang)
  • Re: OT:P Hannah
    ... corruption of the old oath "By Our Lady"? ... Language is so interesting. ... here cold be totally meaningless, but elsewhere it can be the durge. ...
    (rec.crafts.textiles.needlework)
  • Re: Esperanto and Interlingua
    ... If the language has no way of distinguishing between "small" and "not ... Cf. malvarma = cold. ... but perhaps those who really know Esperanto ...
    (sci.lang)
  • Re: power sliding
    ... any word -- this again applied in principle to every word in ... the language -- could be negatived by adding the affix un-, ... doublepluscold meant, respectively, ?very cold? ...
    (sci.crypt)
  • Re: OT: Rick Wright dead
    ... junk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx "Ian Robinson" writes: ... language. ... I've got a cold :-) ... station launched into an impromptu Pink Floyd tribute session -- ...
    (uk.comp.sys.mac)