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Is "virinismulo" a valid translation for "feminist"?

by LordRatte, December 5, 2015

Messages: 14

Language: English

LordRatte (User's profile) December 5, 2015, 6:57:46 PM

My reasoning is that the root word is Vir- (man) and the suffixes combine as follows:
-in- makes it female.
-ism- makes it a belief.
-ul- makes it a person.
-o makes it a noun.

This seems like it should give "feminist".

My main source is this Lernu! page.

bartlett22183 (User's profile) December 5, 2015, 7:19:15 PM

I am by no means an expert or authority, and I will cheerfully accept correction or better advice, but it seems to me that the 'vir-' form is not necessary. It usually is used to refer specifically to males, but '-in-' refer to females. Therefore, in my inexpert opinion, 'inismulo' would be adequate for "feminist." Other more expert opinion?

rann (User's profile) December 5, 2015, 8:12:39 PM

Usually, ideological followers are "-isto" as in English: communist, fascist, capitalist. Also, since feminism isn't an organization per se, you wouldn't use "-ano" either. So "virinismulo" could be contracted to "virinisto." Of course, based on the school of feminism one would follow, they wouldn't appreciate having the root word for "man" (viro) in their name, so one would use "inisto" or the neologism "feministo" (it's in the lernu vortaro). I hope this better clarifies how you should translate followers of an ideology. If you have any other questions, just ask!

*Note: I'm pretty sure "feministo" is the most common word for feminist.

LordRatte (User's profile) December 5, 2015, 8:42:03 PM

I see. I wasn't aware that affixes could be used as root words to that degree.
feministo" (it's in the lernu vortaro).
I assumed there was a more natural word for it, rann. The thought was more of a semantic curiosity.

As for the suffixes used, I trust that my intuition will become more comfortable as I adapt to the language.

Tempodivalse (User's profile) December 5, 2015, 9:16:54 PM

feministo is the most common translation, though you may also occasionally see inisto or virinisto.

erinja (User's profile) December 5, 2015, 11:10:28 PM

Feminismo and feministo are the words generally used in Esperanto, but it you didn't know these words and used instead the one you devised, you'd probably be understood.

Vestitor (User's profile) December 6, 2015, 12:11:35 AM

When I glanced at the post title I thought the word was 'verisimilitude'! I don't think I would have guessed the agglutinated word was 'feminist' without looking closer, but then I'm still an amateur.

se (User's profile) December 6, 2015, 5:07:20 AM

Wikipedia says, preferable use inismo but lack sources

bartlett22183 (User's profile) December 6, 2015, 8:12:21 PM

se:Wikipedia says, preferable use inismo but lack sources
This would make 'inismo' comparable to "feminism" and 'inismulo' comparable to "feminist" as I suggested earlier. A matter, as I see it, is to what extent to adopt / adapt so-called international words and to what extent to compound words out of existing E-o material (in this case affixes usable as quasi-standalone morphemes). What might Zamenhof have done, if the notions of "feminism / feminist" had been current in his day?

Vestitor (User's profile) December 6, 2015, 10:14:07 PM

bartlett22183:What might Zamenhof have done, if the notions of "feminism / feminist" had been current in his day?
He'd have had to cook all his own meals in between all those long sessions at his desk.

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