When I write, I find that I tend to make character names that go on for a little while, like "Harry's coworker who I refuse to name so you don't get personally attached to in case I blow the building up." When writing an Esperaton sentence and I use that character as an object, would I have to add an -n to every single word in that character's name?

Iammars:When I write, I find that I tend to make character names that go on for a little while, like "Harry's coworker who I refuse to name so you don't get personally attached to in case I blow the building up." When writing an Esperaton sentence and I use that character as an object, would I have to add an -n to every single word in that character's name?

I don't think so.

"Mi renkontis la kunlaboranto de Harry, kiun mi malkonsentas aludi per nomo, tial ke vi ne allogigxu al li, kaze de mi eksplodigos la konstruaĵon."

Thanks a lot guys. That really cleared it up for me.

And Le Hibou, sure it may or may not seem funny the third or fourth time, but the twenty-seventh or thirty-third time it does, plus it gets my word count up for NaNoWriMo. And besides, if you don't like The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, you won't like my book.

*idea*

Hitchhiker's Guide in Esperanto!
Now I have a goal!

Novico Dektri:"Mi renkontis la kunlaboranto de Harry, kiun mi malkonsentas aludi per nomo, tial ke vi ne allogigxu al li, kaze de mi eksplodigos la konstruaĵon."

Damne. Iam mi vere sentas min kiel eterna komencanto. Mi eklernis en julio, sed kvankam mi komprenas preskaux cxion, kion mi legas, mi ankoraux ne povas traduki artikolojn aux ecx bazajn frazojn tiel bone kiel vi. Specifike, mi ne povus elpensi tiun frazon "tial ke vi ne allogigxu al li", kiu laux mia scio estus "that is why you should not become attached to him" en la angla. Tiaj frazoj tute konfuzas min, kaj estas pro ili ke iam mi pensas ke mi estas ege tro stulta por regi la lingvon.



Benjamin[/quote](English, please!)

Actually I would translate "allogi" as "to attract" rather than "to attach". And I agree with your translation of "tial ke vi ne allogigxu al li", except for the part about "allogi" (= attract) versus "alfiksi" (to attach).

Also I found it interesting that everyone used "kaze de mi...", whereas I, and most E-o speakers I know (though evidently not the whole population) would use "Kaze ke mi...". Actually I don't know if I've even heard "kaze de" before in this kind of context.

erinja:
Actually I would translate "allogi" as "to attract" rather than "to attach". And I agree with your translation of "tial ke vi ne allogigxu al li", except for the part about "allogi" (= attract) versus "alfiksi" (to attach).

I thought about that, and decided "alfiksi" was too literal for the intended meaning of "become attached to," which is, after all, metaphorical. But now that I think about it, "allogiĝi" means "become attracted to", and that's not really right either. Maybe the metaphorical use of "alfiksiĝi" is better after all. Or maybe there's another way at it. I guess the actual meaning of becoming too attached to a character is to be overly concerned about that character. So maybe "tro koncerniĝi" would be good.

Also I found it interesting that everyone used "kaze de mi...", whereas I, and most E-o speakers I know (though evidently not the whole population) would use "Kaze ke mi...". Actually I don't know if I've even heard "kaze de" before in this kind of context.[/quote]I think you're right. "Kaze de" is probably better if followed by a noun phrase, rather than a verb in the volitive.