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"Lasta" ambiguity

by Leisureguy, April 19, 2020

Messages: 3

Language: English

Leisureguy (User's profile) April 19, 2020, 12:58:27 PM

In the lernu.net dictionary, the meaning of "lasta" is given as "last, latest." Is it true that Esperanto does not distinguish between "final" (last) and "most recent" (latest)? If it does distinguish, which of the two meanings does "lasta" have? (The two meanings are quite different. "The band's last concert" is not at all the same as "The band's latest concert.")

Metsis (User's profile) April 19, 2020, 2:44:22 PM

For "last" you can say "lasta, fina". For "latest" you can say "pasinta". But you're right, many speakers don't make the distinction.

And for me "lastatempe" (recently) has a notorious sound of final times.

Leisureguy (User's profile) April 19, 2020, 11:12:33 PM

It's true that many English speakers don't seem to recognize the distinction, but to me the distinction is crystal clear. "The Last Waltz," for example, certainly does not refer to the latest waltz. ridulo.gif

Thanks. pasinta it is. And I agree: lastampa does seem to refer to end times.

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