In the commentary on the DVD, Shatner, in discussing the "Incubus Curse," sort of whimsically says that Esperanto has fallen into disfavor since the movie, and maybe that's part of the Curse.
Is that so? Is Esperanto less popular now than in the sixties?
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"I believe there are still some die-hards out there pitching for it."
Yes, there are. I work for the English department at a university. This summer we received some pamphlets from some nut in Ontario. They were written in what I thought was gibberish - I could kind of make out what they said but it was difficult.
I ended up googling a few sentences to see if I could figure what the language was - it was Esperanto. I'd never seen it before!
It seems the guy was trying to get people to use the language, which is why he sent the flyers to an English department.
Interrobang!?
Is there any way I could get my hand on the Esperanto flyers you were sent? I am seriously trying to learn to language as is my mother.For reasons unkown even to us.Thanks
Monkee
[email protected]
I'd be glad to give them to you but I threw them out.
I think you can find tutorials online though.
Interrobang!?
AKA Sister_Dolphin
go to http://www.lernu.com/
there is also a free online or mail-in Esperanto course at http://pacujo.net/esperanto/course/
Sometimes the Linguistics Department is in with the English Department and the LD will sometimes teach esoteric languages. At the University of Iowa the LD is in charge of the Swahili, Zulu, and Yoruba courses. So it does kind of make sense.
shareAccording to what I have read there are a million esperanto speakers throughout the world. You can check out esperanto on youtube etc. Supposedly China and Japan are pushing it in their education systems since it is a mixture of the main European languages. It is very easy to learn and the grammar is quite simple. I would not be so quick to dismiss esperanto as a failure. As the world becomes the "global village" esperanto may just make a huge comeback. I listen to an internet radio program broadcasted in esperanto and that program originates in Poland. There are other similar programs. I have just started learning the language and enjoy learning it because of how easy it is. If you already speak English with some Spanish it will come proficiency in esperanto will come very quickly.
shareMy problem with Esperanto is that it is an artificial language that does not have a base of literature comparable to most real languages. Since it was created, it probably does not have the quirks that make a real language fun, exceptions to the rules, ambiguities that can be exploited to make jokes. I wonder if there are many jokes in Esperanto. If we want a universal language why not accept English.
shareEnglish is the present international business language, due to the previous strength of the British empire, and the current strength of the United States (relative to other individual countries).
I think Esperanto's goal is admirable, and I don't see any harm in promoting it as an international language. Its lack of ambiguities would make "meat and potatoes" style communication easier. You know, just getting the point across clearly. I'm sure the humor would come in other forms. There are many cultures where jokes based on plays on words are rare anyhow, and they've gotten along just fine.
Esperanto is an interesting idea but i think it lacks background, sort of... i mean it's artificial... i don't know. I could pick up some words, i'm a Spaniard and my English is quite good, I also speak German, but even though... do they have sayings?? that sort of stuff like "slippery as an eel" "pitch black" Is there any literature??? I've seen Tintin comics translated into Esperanto... If it has no ambiguities Wittgenstein would be glad ;o)
shareThere are original books and plays, but keep in mind that its also only a hundred years old. Modern literature is still dependent on books and plays centuries old.
shareWell... Esperanto makes a point of _not_ having exceptions. Remember being a child and asking "why is it 'ring, rang, rung' but not 'bring, brang, brung'?" (Ignoring Neil Diamond for purposes of argument... :))? You never have to do that in Esperanto.
Why not accept English? I expect all the Chinese speakers would say "why not accept Chinese", all the Spanish speakers "why not accept Spanish", etc.
I have to agree that Esperanto, not having been around for four or so centuries like Modern English, doesn't have a comparable base of literature. It does have a body of literature, though, both original and in translation. (I've lost track of my copy of "Uini la Pu" translated by Ivy Kellerman Reed (I think that's her name).)
On the other hand, it's the only artificial language that's survived for over a century and has a respectable body of speakers. The only other one likely to survive is tlIngan Hol... but I don't think anyone really thinks Klingon is a good choice for a universal language.
My problem with Esperanto is that it is an artificial language
it probably does not have the quirks that make a real language fun
If we want a universal language why not accept English
"All languages are artificial."
I suppose you could say that, in the sense that all languages are creations of the human mind. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say Esperanto is a constructed language, i.e. one that was deliberately and methodically invented all of a piece, rather that evolving naturally over time.
"English (or any other ethnic language) has two problems: it's hard to learn and it's politically biased."
Excuse me, but how is it possible for English, or any language for that matter, to be "politically biased"? Could you give some examples to illustrate that statement?
All the universe . . . or nothingness. Which shall it be, Passworthy? Which shall it be?
Languages, I think, are more objective than most people are willing to admit. I never understood the claim that English is somehow politically biased. Was it politically biased when it was spoken during the centuries of English monarchy? Is it politically biased now that all native speaking English countries are democracies?
The bias comes from people, I would say.
it is a mixture of the main European languages
Esperanto is just as popular as ever. In fact, Starbuck's charges up to five dollars for one.
shareMy father acquired this on DVD years ago, for the novelty factor.
We watched it together, and the main thing I remember was some of the hilarious Esperanto. Firestorm = Firestormo. Amazing.
Fajrŝtormo. And the r and vowels are pronounced much as in Spanish, not English. The j is pronounced like English consonantal y. So don't get so smug. (The ŝ is pronounced as the sh in she.)
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