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From: cl596@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Petar Lazic)
Subject: Re: Non-Sexist Language Reform - Esperanto
Message-ID: <DGGt02.2z7@freenet.carleton.ca>
Sender: cl596@freenet2.carleton.ca (Petar Lazic)
Reply-To: cl596@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Petar Lazic)
Organization: The National Capital FreeNet
References: <kenmayer-2709951907590001@pilsudski.wag.utexas.edu> <DG3Bxx.ACB@freenet.carleton.ca> <45m6je$so5@louie.udel.edu> <45mbq0$9jj@panix2.panix.com> <45mdta$3j8@louie.udel.edu>
Date: Sun, 15 Oct 1995 00:50:26 GMT
Lines: 29


John Chao (chao@stimpy.eecis.udel.edu) writes:

> 
>>Which mind? A Chinese one? A Japanese one? A Finnish one? A Korean one? 
>>Esperanto is autonomous, just like any other language; it cannot be
>>crammed into another language's frame. 
> 
> To the mind of Spanish and English speakers, and i imagine to most
> speakers of European languages, which Esperanto seems to be based on.
> That's a large fraction of the world population. 
> 
>   -jc
> 

You miss the point, though. Esperanto is meant for speakers of any
language. It just isn't important if one affix happens to suggest a
certain image or tone to speakers of another language or group.
It may suggest the opposite to another group. For example putting an
'a' on the end of a name suggests feminin to speakers of many European
languages (eg Christian-Christina etc). But it may well suggest masculin
to other people (in fact I'm pretty sure that It does, but I've forgotten
for which languages.) You can't cater to the whims and idiosyncracies of
every language in the world. 

--
Petar Lazic				"Hell is other people."
cl596@freenet.carleton.ca			J.P. Sartre

