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From: riddle@ut-sally.UUCP (Prentiss Riddle)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Esperanto diacritics (Re: Lesson One...)
Message-ID: <630@ut-sally.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 14-Jan-85 20:34:28 EST
Article-I.D.: ut-sally.630
Posted: Mon Jan 14 20:34:28 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 17-Jan-85 03:43:23 EST
References: <1132@druny.UUCP> <248@ptsfc.UUCP>
Organization: U. of Tx. at Houston-in-the-Hills
Lines: 29

>  In the meantime, can someone explain the usage of the "^" in some
>  esperanto words? 

One of the limitations of an ascii network:  the "^" used in postings on the
net stands for a "hat" accent which should appear on the following
consonant.  (Except if the case of "^u", where it stands for a schwa-like
curve, a "smile" accent if you will, over the letter "u".)

The affected letters are pronounced as follows:

	"c"	pronounced like "ts" in "wits"
	"^c"	pronounced like "ch" in "church"
	"g"	pronounced like "g" in "go"
	"^g"	pronounced like "g" in "gem"
	"h"	pronounced like "h" in "house" (fully aspirated h)
	"^h"	pronounced like "ch" in "loch" (usually replaced with "k")
	"j"	pronounced like "y" in "yes"
	"^j"	pronounced like "z" in "azure"

"U" is a full vowel, like "oo" in "too", while "^u" is a semivowel something
like the English "w".

This would all be much clearer if you had a real, printed page of Esperanto
text in front of you.  Why don't you complete the first lesson in the
Esperanto course and send it in?

--- Prentiss Riddle ("Aprendiz de todo, maestro de nada.")
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--- riddle@ut-sally.UUCP, riddle@ut-sally.ARPA, riddle@zotz.ARPA