Vestitor:I don't feel at a loss not having new tech vocabulary in the Wells. In fact it's a welcome relief because I'm bored to tears with new technology words and the avalanche of coinages for the internet and mobile tech.

I have another pocket dictionary (Esperanto-Dutch/Dutch-Esperanto) published by Meulenhoff. It's from 1926, but this is the revised 1952 edition with the, then recent, new Dutch spelling. I paid 75 cents for this and it's the one I carry about with me.

Second-hand Esperanto dictionaries almost never turn up in bookshops; either that or I go to the wrong bookshops.

I've bought them in bookshops but more often in Europe than in the US. Bought a Persian/Esperanto dictionary in a used bookshop in Istanbul, that was a cool find.

You'll note I said additional words and not tech vocabulary - I didn't really mean technology words (which I am more likely to look up online in any case). Wells added a lot of words. I think shopping mall was a new term in this edition. It's a word that I need and it was useful to see what his suggestion was. Things like that.

erinja:Bought a Persian/Esperanto dictionary in a used bookshop in Istanbul, that was a cool find.

Yah. That is cool. Iran had a big Esperanto movement, from what I gather, because the Ayatollah praised Esperanto and had the Quran translated into Esperanto. Since that time, I think they changed their stance because they learned about Zamenhoffs ethnicity.

I don't know about the government's opinions but Iran still has a pretty good Esperanto community with its own magazine ("Irana Esperantisto" ). I would say that it's equally as active as any European association. Off the top of my head - Iran and Israel are the only middle eastern countries with a structure providing organized Esperanto activities (an association that has a membership and a leadership structure and organizes congresses and meetings).

Alkanadi:

erinja:Bought a Persian/Esperanto dictionary in a used bookshop in Istanbul, that was a cool find.

Yah. That is cool. Iran had a big Esperanto movement, from what I gather, because the Ayatollah praised Esperanto and had the Quran translated into Esperanto. Since that time, I think they changed their stance because they learned about Zamenhoffs ethnicity.

Uh no. The reason Iran has a large Esperanto community is because in addition to the usual Esperantistoj a religious group called the Ba'hai/ Bahai faith believed an international language would help them spread their message of human brotherhood*. This meant they Esperanto had the financial support and religious dedication of a religious institution behind. The Iranian regime cracked down on Esperanto (for a time) because they viewed Bahai's as heretics (they're an Abrahamic off shoot).

Why on earth would you think the Iranian regime would base its policies on a long dead Jew from the Russian Empire? Is it because he was Jewish? Iran has the largest Jewish population in the middle east outside Israel you know.

*There's also a Japanese cult that views Zamenhoff as a God and also uses Esperanto.

Alkanadi:

erinja:Bought a Persian/Esperanto dictionary in a used bookshop in Istanbul, that was a cool find.

Yah. That is cool. Iran had a big Esperanto movement, from what I gather, because the Ayatollah praised Esperanto and had the Quran translated into Esperanto. Since that time, I think they changed their stance because they learned about Zamenhoffs ethnicity.

Interesting. How does that translation differ from that of Italo Chiussi, and is it available? As has been pointed out, Iran has (at least used to have) a (minority) Baha'i population, and the Baha'is strongly support the adoption of an auxiliary language, although officially they have never come down in favor of Esperanto as such. So I am a little surprised that the Shi'ite "officialdom" (so to speak) in Iran would promote an E-o translation of the Qur'an.

RhysH:

Alkanadi:Yah. That is cool. Iran had a big Esperanto movement, from what I gather, because the Ayatollah praised Esperanto and had the Quran translated into Esperanto.

Uh no. The reason Iran has a large Esperanto community is because in addition to the usual Esperantistoj a religious group called the Ba'hai/ Bahai faith believed an international language...

Uh yes. The Ayatollah is Shia and Iran is a Shia state.

"Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran called on Muslims to learn Esperanto... it began to be used in the seminaries of Qom. An Esperanto translation of the Qur'an was published by the state shortly thereafter."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esperanto

Why on earth would you think the Iranian regime would base its policies on a long dead Jew from the Russian Empire?

I think I saw this in a Youtube video. I am trying to find the reference but no luck.

bartlett22183:Interesting. How does that translation differ from that of Italo Chiussi, and is it available?

La Nobla Korano: http://www.alislam.org/quran/Holy-Quran-Esperanto....

So I am a little surprised that the Shi'ite "officialdom" (so to speak) in Iran would promote an E-o translation of the Qur'an.

Truth is stranger than fiction, because fiction has to be believable whereas reality doesn't.

"Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran called on Muslims to learn Esperanto... it began to be used in the seminaries of Qom. An Esperanto translation of the Qur'an was published by the state shortly thereafter."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esperanto

erinja:Iran and Israel are the only middle eastern countries with a structure providing organized Esperanto activities

These two countries are a grand example of how Esperanto promotes communication between peoples and promotes peace.

nornen:

erinja:Iran and Israel are the only middle eastern countries with a structure providing organized Esperanto activities

These two countries are a grand example of how Esperanto promotes communication between peoples and promotes peace.

I totally agree.

Just to be the devil's advocate: It could promote more hostility because now they can insult each other and argue in a common language, whereas previously they might have assumed that the other side is just like them.

Alkanadi:

bartlett22183:Interesting. How does that translation differ from that of Italo Chiussi, and is it available?

La Nobla Korano: http://www.alislam.org/quran/Holy-Quran-Esperanto....

I don't think you read the question carefully. You posted a link to the Chiussi translation. The question asked was, how was "that translation" (the Iranian government's version) different from the Chiussi, and is it available?

bartlett22183:So I am a little surprised that the Shi'ite "officialdom" (so to speak) in Iran would promote an E-o translation of the Qur'an.

This part is not surprising to me. People want to promote their religion or ideology to those outside their country, so it's not too surprising that a theocratic would want to translate their main religious text to make it available abroad. On the political versus religious side of things, a number of communist governments have published Esperanto translations of important communist texts.

I am not sure why we are talking about Sunni versus Shia governments. It seems not to relate to the topic at hand.

At any rate I would be shocked if there were a aignificant number of Baha'i Esperantists left in Iran today. It is true that the Baha'i faith has strong historical links with Esperanto, but many Baha'i left Iran years ago due to the government oppression (a Baha'i friend of mine has a vivid story of her uncle and father escaping Iran through the desert in the middle of the night, in a car with the headlights off), and the remaining Baha'i in Iran seem to keep their heads down.