Leave it to the beginner to ask lots of translation questions.

My newest one is "Platypus"

You can't exactly make a word for Platypus.
Unless it's like German "beak animal"

What do you suggest I do?

Kljunar:Leave it to the beginner to ask lots of translation questions.

My newest one is "Platypus"

You can't exactly make a word for Platypus.
Unless it's like German "beak animal"

What do you suggest I do?

It sounds like it may be time to buy an old fashioned paper dictionary. I recommend the new one (2010 by John Wells.

In the meantime keep asking questions!

For platypus Wells lists: ornitorinko. Rolls off the tongue, ĉu ne?

NJ Esperantist:

Kljunar:Leave it to the beginner to ask lots of translation questions.

My newest one is "Platypus"

You can't exactly make a word for Platypus.
Unless it's like German "beak animal"

What do you suggest I do?

It sounds like it may be time to buy an old fashioned paper dictionary. I recommend the new one (2010 by John Wells.

In the meantime keep asking questions!

For platypus Wells lists: ornitorinko. Rolls off the tongue, ĉu ne?

You can't go wrong with a paper dictionary, but is there not the same thing online?

I guess I'm used to 'larger' languages where there's tons and tons of dictionaries available.

Kljunar:Leave it to the beginner to ask lots of translation questions.

My newest one is "Platypus"

You can't exactly make a word for Platypus. Unless it's like German "beak animal". What do you suggest I do?

For this and other words, start with the Esperanto Wiktionary: eo.wiktionary.org The search box is at top right.

'platypus' goo.gl/ezXvp0 returns two entries. In the first one, you can see why it's called 'ornitorinko'. The second one should make you smile.

After that you can turn to 'Esperantaj vortaroj en la reto' (Esperanto dictionaries online). You want 'Angla'.

Kljunar:
Unless it's like German "beak animal"

Close...anasbeka mamulo.

https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ornitorinko

FYI on animal names - most unusual animals (and almost all birds) have Esperanto names that are based on their Latin name. It is almost never possible simply to guess the Esperanto name of an animal (even to guess the Esperanto name based on the Latin, you might not get it quite right) and it would be unwise to try to make up your own, since almost every animal has a name, unless it is truly far more unusual than something like a platypus.

For example, owl is "strigo" in Esperanto. The Latin name for the family of owl family of birds is "strigidae" (which is like "strigidoj" in Esperanto!)

To the best of my knowledge (I am not an expert), for "unfamiliar" (whatever that means) animals (and maybe plants also?), the Esperanto name derives from the biological scientific name, often the genus. For example, the North American racoon in E-o is 'prociono' from scientific classification 'Procyon lotor', and the Virginia opossum is 'didelfo' from scientific 'Didelphis virginiana'.

bartlett22183:...For example, the North American racoon in E-o is 'prociono' from scientific classification 'Procyon lotor'...

Raccoon can be prociono or lavurso.

00100100:

bartlett22183:...For example, the North American racoon in E-o is 'prociono' from scientific classification 'Procyon lotor'...

Raccoon can be prociono or lavurso.

I was using both editions of the Wells dictionary, which list 'prociono'. Also the lernu! vortaro here. 'Lavurso' ("wash bear" ) I have never come across, although I am not claiming that it is somehow wrong. However, for an international language, I advocate at least some standardization for common terms. (Admittedly the racoon was strictly a North American, not global, animal until it was transplanted to a few other locations.)

bartlett22183:

00100100:

bartlett22183:...For example, the North American racoon in E-o is 'prociono' from scientific classification 'Procyon lotor'...

Raccoon can be prociono or lavurso.

I was using both editions of the Wells dictionary, which list 'prociono'. Also the lernu! vortaro here. 'Lavurso' ("wash bear" ) I have never come across, although I am not claiming that it is somehow wrong. However, for an international language, I advocate at least some standardization for common terms. (Admittedly the racoon was strictly a North American, not global, animal until it was transplanted to a few other locations.)

Well, Lernu's dictionary, votaro.net, Globse.com, and esperanto-panorama.net all list both lavurso and prociono. Wiktionary goes all out: not only prociono and lavurso, but also lav-urso...which Vikipedio uses for it's article on our beloved "he scratches with his hands". However, for what it is worth, the article also shows prociono as the Esperanto version of the genus: Procyon.