In our first issue the hope was expressed that all Esperantists
would, without delay, translate the two letters enclosed in the
Textbook and send them in for "The Adresaro." Many have already done
so, and will no doubt soon commence their foreign correspondence,
even if the collecting of picture postcards or postage stamps be the
initial incentive. Several translators have experienced slight
difficulties in their work, which we now take the opportunity of
explaining.
In the first edition of the Textbook the first letter contained the
word "propono." Many were unable to translate this, the meaning of
which is "proposal." "Ekskolonelo" also presented difficulty to many.
The meaning is simply "ex-colonel"!
The more recent letters seem to contain but one point of
difficulty--the wonderful ever-recurring word "samideano" (which was
here put in the feminine through an oversight). We have not yet
discovered an apt translation for this most useful term. One of our
members has put "friend in Esperanto," whereas others describe it as
"kindred spirit" or "fellow-thinker." The literal meaning is of
course "one who shares the same idea as yourself."
* * *
A most interesting letter has come to hand from one of our
enthusiastic members. We here print it at length:--
"Dear Sir,--I am reluctant to encroach upon your time,
but I feel _I must_ write to congratulate you upon the get-up, the
good printing, and the general excellence of your first number. It is
far and away the best Esperanto journal I have seen.
"One of your correspondents, I see, urges that her age (71) precludes
the possibility of her doing much for Esperanto. I hope not. If she
has the same good health as I have, she may have several years before
her yet. I am in my 81st year, and though I have a very busy life, I
take a great delight in our "Kara Lingvo," and can read it with
tolerable ease ... I am puzzled about the sound of "Eŭ," "Ej," and
"Uj" ... I cannot make out the last line but one on page 9.
Yours, etc.,
E.D.R."
We heartily thank E.D.R. for his interesting and cheering letter.
Certainly we all hope to have plenty of time before us in which to
propagate "La Karan Lingvon."
To deal with the last point first, it was one of the printer's errors
which one must inevitably find in a journal printed in a new
language. "Firmo firinoj" should have been the one word "Firmoj." Our
good colleague, Mr. Ahlberg, is thus fully exculpated from what at
first sight must have seemed to our readers as "very original
Esperanto" on his part. In apologising for the error, we would again
call the attention of our readers to the motto at the top of page 1.
The _Eŭ_ is very rare, generally found in _Eŭropo_, which is
pronounced as _Ay-oo-roh-po_, just as if the ordinary _u_ had been
used. _The letter ŭ has no individual sound_, as was explained in
our last issue. _Ej_ in _plej_, and all other cases, has the value of
the _ayi_ in playing. _Uj_ as in ruin. Take for example the word
_Patrujo_. This is spoken _Pah-troo-yo_. Similarly _Lernejo_ is
_Lairn-eh-yo_.
* * *
J.H.M. of Walthamstow writes a congratulatory letter in Esperanto,
concluding with the request that we explain the etymology of three
words used in the Gazette. "Klopodi," meaning "to busy one's self
about something," is derived from the Polish: klopotac sie. "Ĉerpi,"
meaning "to exhaust," comes from the Polish: czerpac. "Varbi," "to
enrol," from the German: bewarben.
N.B.--It is remarkable, considering that Dr. Zamenhof is a Pole, that
there are not more Slavonic words in Esperanto.
Philologists will find the Universal Dictionary (in Esperanto,
French, English, German, Russian, and Polish) a useful work. Price
1s., post free.
* * *
Friends have written suggesting that we should have monthly
competitions for the best translations from given passages in English
literature. The idea is an excellent one, but we cannot adopt it at
present, as our time is too fully occupied to enable us to give the
requisite amount of care to the competitors' efforts. Nevertheless,
we hope for an interesting competition in the near future. We need
original work, however, more than translations. Meanwhile we offer a
Prize (the Will o' the Wisp English-Esperanto Dictionary, which
really ought to be ready by Christmas) to all friends who can send us
the annual subscriptions of ten new subscribers. Of course
secretaries and officials of groups are not included in this offer.
We are glad to state that we have received numbers of interesting
letters. Our inveterate foe, space, forbids our printing all we wish.
We trust that our friends will be satisfied with the written replies
which are generally sent when their letters are crowded out.