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Esperanto in the News: Opportunity to Learn

door Alkanadi, 20 april 2016

Berichten: 42

Taal: English

Don1980 (Profiel tonen) 21 april 2016 11:30:46

Let's not worry too much about the name of the language. In my opinion the lamest name ever is "Beatles".

Vestitor (Profiel tonen) 21 april 2016 16:54:20

Don1980:Let's not worry too much about the name of the language. In my opinion the lamest name ever is "Beatles".
How is it 'lame'? It has the meaning of Beetles (obviously) from their earlier incarnations, and refers to the 'beat' music that characterised what became called Merseybeat.

erinja (Profiel tonen) 21 april 2016 18:11:44

...I think the point was mainly to illustrate that a name of something can have little to do with its popularity.

Nothing inherently makes "Beatles" a better name than the "Flamin' Groovies", but there's only one of these bands that most people are likely to have heard of.

Vestitor (Profiel tonen) 21 april 2016 18:49:17

Isn't this because the name also takes on the qualities of the content? If the Beatles had been dire the name would mean less, but equally if the name had been poor, it probably would have been quickly changed (as it was...to The Beatles).

Esperanto is not great because of its name, but because of the language's qualities which are reflected upon the name, which also has some meaning in itself.

erinja (Profiel tonen) 22 april 2016 00:18:03

Interestingly enough - as Esperanto's name was also changed, from Lingvo Internacia.

Personally I don't think the name has anything to do with the success or failure of the language. A catastrophically bad name could be harmful, something that seems hard to pronounce and difficult to remember, but I think Esperanto is fine (as Ido is also fine, Novial, etc -- but Volapuk perhaps falls into bad name territory).

I don't think that any perceived similarity with "Espanol" changes very much one way or the other. A fabulous name won't save you from dreadful content, whether you're a language or a band.

Evildela (Profiel tonen) 22 april 2016 03:23:38

Esperanto is a good name as it usually appears right below English in language lists which makes people ask "What is that?". I know of one person who discovered Esperanto like this and then became an Esperanto speaker.

Alkanadi (Profiel tonen) 24 april 2016 07:19:18

erinja:Personally I don't think the name has anything to do with the success or failure...
http://www.businessinsider.com/how-your-name-affec...

Vestitor (Profiel tonen) 24 april 2016 12:10:18

Alkanadi:
erinja:Personally I don't think the name has anything to do with the success or failure...
http://www.businessinsider.com/how-your-name-affec...
What a pile of pop-psychology dross. The entertainment world is full of successful people with awkward, uncommon names (Schwarzenegger is an obvious example, he was repeatedly told to change his name). Also loads of the 'startup' companies have used unusual names to generate interest as part of their marketing (I'm less sure how this assists in their standard tax-dodging activities).

I recall a British actress/presenter, Denise van Outen, saying that someone advised her to change her name to Donna Douglas so people wouldn't trip over her name. She says it held her back for about five years.

Esperanto is far more about content and functionality, than it is about three bearded clowns sitting around a table trying to think of a 'funky' marketing name. I think its name is great (and it was chosen by the early users anyway over the official name, so it was a natural development).

Alkanadi (Profiel tonen) 24 april 2016 13:40:06

Vestitor:Schwarzenegger is an obvious example, he was repeatedly told to change his name
I can see why because having an awkward name could have hurt his chances of being successful.

Would Esperanto have had the same success if it was called Bubble Starlight Language and there was a pink unicorn as a mascot?

There is no such thing as marketing, right? It is all about the utility and has nothing to do with the packaging?

Vestitor (Profiel tonen) 24 april 2016 14:50:47

Alkanadi:
Vestitor:Schwarzenegger is an obvious example, he was repeatedly told to change his name
I can see why because having an awkward name could have hurt his chances of being successful.

Would Esperanto have had the same success if it was called Bubble Starlight Language and there was a pink unicorn as a mascot?

There is no such thing as marketing, right? It is all about the utility and has nothing to do with the packaging?
The point is that not changing his name didn't hurt his chances, quite the opposite.

You fail to understand that Esperanto didn't launch a glitzy marketing campaign as you imagine them. It was created, it was released and taken up by people who, fortunately, adopted the name 'Esperanto' which works and then they spent a century learning it, using it and keeping it ticking over.

There is such a thing as marketing, otherwise I wouldn't mention it (or you, at the slightest opportunity it seems).

I don't say this for the mere sake of appearing brusque, but please pipe down about Esperanto marketing campaigns. I'm sick of hearing about it.

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