O.A., of York, writes:--"I want to head my notepaper with a notice
that I am willing to receive correspondence in Esperanto. What is
the best phrase to use?"
We think that "Mi korespondados Esperante" is best, being to the
point and short.
* * *
Several correspondents have enquired whether it is easy to teach
one's self Esperanto. This depends on the learner. But I will give
two communications received to-day (September 4). Many similar
letters of appreciation arrive every week.
(1). "Kara Sinjoro, Mi komencis lerni Esperanton la lastan Sabaton
el (je?) la libreto _Esperanto_, kaj mi aĉetis mardon la
'Complete Text-Book' de Sinjoro O'Connor. Mi jam estas konvinkita ke
la nova lingvo internacia estas perfekte praktika, kaj ke ĝi
fariĝos grandan gajnon por la mondo se ĝi ricevos la atento kiun
ĝi meritas. Kun saluto."
A.G.E., London, N.
This is, word for word, the Esperanto letter of a five-days' student.
It would be interesting to see a similar production after an equally
short period of self-tuition in any natural language. "Atento"
instead of "atenton" seems to be the only slip!
(2). "Dear Sir,--I received the books safely yesterday morning....
I think Esperanto a most wonderful language. I shall soon translate
the letters (for enrolment in the Adresaro) and send them in. I have
never been so surprised as when I glanced through the text-book. I
thought it would take at least 30 or 40 hours to master the grammar,
but I find I can do it in 2! You will probably be rather surprised
when you hear that I am only 14 years old. Yours truly, W.G.R.,
Montmorency, France."
We wish him every success, and hope soon to receive an Esperanto note
also.
* * *
G.M.H., London, N.W., writes in Esperanto asking for "rules for the
order of the words in Esperanto."
For an affirmative sentence the English order is generally the best.
For questions, however, the order is not inverted. Ĉu mi havas
libron? not Havas mi libron?
* * *
A most enthusiastic Sussex Samideanino writes: "I may never be able
to do much--my age (71) precludes the possibility; but what I can do
will give me the greatest possible pleasure."
* * *
M.A., of Weymouth, says: "I am in a slight difficulty.... What is the
pronunciation of the plural termination _OJ_?" Unfortunately this
point was not sufficiently clear in the first edition of the
Text-Book. The sound is monosyllabic as in TOY. The tonic accent
therefore falls on the preceding syllable. The termination of
adjectives follows the same rule.
* * *
A.F.M., of Inverness, wonders whether we are desirous of receiving
advice, and says that we should have "at least a column interlined
with _Hugo's_ method of illustrating pronunciation, and another
with the literal translation of each word just below."
We are only too glad to receive suggestions from our good friend
A.F.M. Perhaps he and similarly-minded enquirers are able to read
shorthand. If so, the anecdote printed in _Pitman's_ system will
suffice. If not, we will see what can be done next month. As for the
second suggestion, that is embodied already; the parallel-column
translations are as literal as possible.
* * *
W.F., of Beith, asks: "Is the 'k' in such words as 'knabo,' 'kvar,'
etc., sounded as in the English word 'knife?'"
This is another point which is frequently referred to as a
difficulty. In Esperanto there are no silent letters. Therefore this
"k" must be sounded, and not be silent as in the English word given.
Students of German will recognise the sound in the word "knabe."