Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: Notesfiles $Revision: 1.6.2.17 $; site uokvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!cbdkc1!desoto!cord!hudson!ihnp1!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcs!uokvax!emjej From: emjej@uokvax.UUCP Newsgroups: net.nlang Subject: Re: Lesson One in the Free Esperanto Pos Message-ID: <4500011@uokvax.UUCP> Date: Thu, 17-Jan-85 02:23:00 EST Article-I.D.: uokvax.4500011 Posted: Thu Jan 17 02:23:00 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 19-Jan-85 10:41:22 EST References: <1132@druny.UUCP> Lines: 20 Nf-ID: #R:druny:-113200:uokvax:4500011:000:914 Nf-From: uokvax!emjej Jan 17 01:23:00 1985 /***** uokvax:net.nlang / ptsfc!rjw / 1:26 pm Jan 11, 1985 */ In the meantime, can someone explain the usage of the '^' in some esperanto words? /* ---------- */ In the words of Curly, "soitinly!" The prefixed "^" is used before a letter above which one would see either a circumflex accent (for c, g, j, h) or a--aargh, I forget the name of the glyph (it looks like a circumflex accent upside down, and shows up in dictionaries to indicate that the "short" sound of a vowel is desired)-- well, whatever it is (for u). The latter usage indicates a dipthong, the former marks a distinct letter in the Esperanto alphabet with its own pronunciation (the c /ts/ becomes ^c /ch/, g /g/ becomes ^g /j/, j /y/ becomes ^j /zh/, h /h/ becomes ^h /kh/, although ^h seems to be dying out--it's seen in e^ho (echo) and ^horo (chorus--^h seems to be turning into k, but koro (heart) is already taken)). James Jones