Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site druny.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!drutx!druny!neal From: neal@druny.UUCP (Neal D. McBurnett) Newsgroups: net.nlang Subject: Esperanto and the origins of some interesting words Message-ID: <1129@druny.UUCP> Date: Thu, 3-Jan-85 10:32:08 EST Article-I.D.: druny.1129 Posted: Thu Jan 3 10:32:08 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 4-Jan-85 00:35:19 EST Organization: AT&T Information Systems Laboratories, Denver Lines: 136 One of the exciting by-products of my interest in the international inter-language Esperanto has been the acquisition of a better knowledge of the background of many English word roots. Although there are no detailed records of how Zamenhof (the inventor of Esperanto (NOT a committee effort, thank goodness!)) selected each of the basic roots, Esperanto contains roots from most Indo-European languages. Frequently the Esperanto root seems to reflect the most common modern form of the word. Most of the roots I have come across have an obvious counterpart in English. Below I have listed some of those which WEREN'T so obvious to me. In some cases I have tentatively indicated some similar English words, or a likely derivation from another language. I would be especially interested to have people point out English "guide words" for the ones I have listed. I am also interested in the origins of these words (their etyma), or what other languages they appear in. Any pointers would be appreciated. Also, are there any good multi-lingual dictionaries which might be able to help me in the future? I have already found the American Heritage dictionary to be invaluable. Besides having an etymon for each word, in the back is an extensive Proto-Indo-European vocabulary, with lots of derived words in many languages. Disclaimer: I am NOT a linguist, nor an etymologist. Forgive me if I've made any howling errors! I know that this is not a good scientific approach to either of these fields: I'm mainly trying to gain a practical advantage in my study of Esperanto, English, and other Indo-European languages, so while I'm interested in learned comments, I'm not above using coincidental similarities between words as a learning aide.... Many thanks! -Neal McBurnett, ihnp4!druny!neal Hint: nouns end in "o", adjectives in "a", verbs in "i", and adverbs in "e". ^geni inconvenience ^sloso lock Ger schloss ^sra^ubi screw a^ceti buy afero thing agi act agree, agent bezoni need bildo picture Ger bild brako arm bracelet, brachial bruo noise bruhaha? devi must G dei? diri say voir dire, L dicere doloro pain fari make fabricate? fono background fermi close flava yellow L flavus flegi nurse fu^si botch Ger verpfuschen grasa fat gross iri go L? koro heart courage, cardiac kruro leg ku^si lie cushy? Hindi khush, pleasant? kuri run course L cursus; cursive, IE kers manki lack Ger mangeln? mateno morning matutinal L matuninus (Matuta, goddess of dawn meti put montri show demonstrate SP monstr mur wall mural pa^so step paroli speak parole: "word of honor" perdi lose perdition (loss of soul) peza heavy plendi complain plaint, plaintiff, plague! po^so pocket pravi right preni take prehensile, comprehend provi try sago arrow Sagitarius, Sagitta, sage. IE: seek out se^go chair sedan sekvi follow sequel, second, sect semajno week SP semana soifi thirst sveni faint voli will Ger wollen zorgi concern Ger sorge Prepositions and function words: ^car because ^ce whether ^cirka^u around circa ^gis until Ger bis a^u or L aut ajn whatever almena^u at least amba^u both ambidextrous anka^u also ankora^u still anstata^u instead of stand? Ger anstatt anta^u before anterior, antique, anti- apud beside balda^u soon Ger bald dum during heira^u yesterday L heri hodia^u today Ger heute, L hodie jam already kaj and G kaj ke that kontra^u against contrary krom besides kun with L cum kvasa^u as if L quasi la^u according to morga^u tomorrow Ger morgen nek neither Ger nun, L nec nun now IE nu nur only Ger nur ol than Ger als plej most pleistocene plena full plenty, replenish pli more pliocene plu further plus, plural preska^u almost preter past preterit, preternatural pri about se if L si sed but L sed sen without L sine sur on tamen nevertheless L tamen tro too much tuj immediately G=Greek Ger=German IE=Proto-Indo-European L=Latin SP=Spanish