Newsgroups: sci.lang
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!rochester!udel!news.sprintlink.net!noc.netcom.net!netcom.com!elna
From: elna@netcom.com (Esperanto League N America)
Subject: Re: Non-Sexist Language Reform - Esperanto
Message-ID: <elnaDGGvxt.8A1@netcom.com>
Organization: Esperanto League for North America, Inc.
References: <kenmayer-2709951907590001@pilsudski.wag.utexas.edu> <453nna$eq0@news.gate.net> <DG3Bxx.ACB@freenet.carleton.ca> <45m6je$so5@louie.udel.edu>
Date: Sun, 15 Oct 1995 01:53:53 GMT
Lines: 29
Sender: elna@netcom7.netcom.com

chao@stimpy.eecis.udel.edu (John Chao) writes in a recent posting (reference <45m6je$so5@louie.udel.edu>):
>
>If 99% are sexless, why not finish off the last 1%? Even if you don't
>care about sexism, aesthetics and symmetry cry out for fixing that 1%.
>
Esperanto is *not* a language project which can be altered at will; it is
a well-developed real language. It has traditions, literature, native
speakers, an Academy etc. Why do people desire to "fix" a language which
works quite well? Do these same people attempt to "fix" Bahasa Indonesian,
or cleanse the New Hebrew? Or better yet-- fix and cleanse their native 
tongue of the faults they find in others'.

>What annoys me about it is two things:  the male form seems to be given
>a place of importance, at the beginning of the word, and the female form
>is stuck at the end. The second is that "vir" brings to mind "virile /
>strong / powerful / sexual / potent", while "ino" brings to mind "small /
>weak / young / not yet sexual". 
>
I'm sorry for you that you bring to mind these associations. Perhaps a 
psycho-analyst could explain why *you* make these associations, but I 
assure you that they are not there in Esperanto! Read the literature, man!
Or at least the dictionary...
 

-- 
Miko SLOPER                   elna@netcom.com         USA  (510) 653 0998
Direktoro de la          ftp.netcom.com:/pub/el/elna   fax (510) 653 1468 
Centra Oficejo de la     Learn Esperanto! Free lessons: e-mail/snail-mail
Esperanto-Ligo de N.A.      Write to above address or call 1-800-828 5944
