I can't do it
ya Momomomomo, 14 Septemba 2009
Ujumbe: 88
Lugha: English
Momomomomo (Wasifu wa mtumiaji) 14 Septemba 2009 5:44:53 alasiri
On the subject of words I never quite got, brakumi - arm-something-action never really did describe with warmth of a hug to me and why can't we use tiam ĉi for now? (though neither of these ever bothered me as much as rideti)
EDIT: just spotted my poll says I though I was odd... yeah that's supposed to be it was odd
jchthys (Wasifu wa mtumiaji) 14 Septemba 2009 5:52:55 alasiri
As for tiam ĉi, the reason is that the ĉi is kind of optional. I mean, ‘this’ is sort of a more specific form of ‘that’, and so you could really use tiu for both. And ‘here’ is sort of a more specific form of ‘there’, and so you could really use tie for both. But ‘now’ has a lot more to it than just ‘then’, and so we use nun.
As for the rideto thing, I kind of agree. Maybe they thought of smiles differently back then
Rohan (Wasifu wa mtumiaji) 14 Septemba 2009 6:43:57 alasiri
So, for instance, an 'arbaro' isn't just any collection of trees, but a specific kind; namely, the kind we call a 'forest'. However, 'aro de arboj' could be used for more or less any clump of trees that you might come across. Other examples: homaro, montaro, malsanulejo, necesejo, domego, pafilego (now normally substituted by kanono).
Similarly, a 'rideto' carries a more specific, special meaning than 'eta rido'. It's almost a new idea, which is still grounded in an existing root as best as possible.
tommjames (Wasifu wa mtumiaji) 14 Septemba 2009 6:50:59 alasiri
Momomomomo:Sorry if you think i'm being obnoxious by challenging a word that has been used for so long but it just doesn't make sense.For what it's worth I agree with you absolutely completely and totally 100% without any reservation whatsoever. I cannot STAND this word, so by all means be as obnoxious as you like.. you'll get nothing but support from me.
Rogir (Wasifu wa mtumiaji) 14 Septemba 2009 8:53:00 alasiri
Rohan (Wasifu wa mtumiaji) 14 Septemba 2009 9:45:46 alasiri
jchthys: Maybe they thought of smiles differently back thenIt struck me that in German, 'to laugh' is 'lachen', while 'to smile' is 'lächeln'. Also, in many words to which the suffix '-lein' or '-chen' (the equivalents of '-et') are attached, the stem acquires an umlaut (ä/ö/ü) if it can.
E.g. Hund (Dog) - Hündchen (Little dog); Frau (Woman) - Fräulein (Young woman, 'Miss').
The point being, of course, that 'lächeln' might actually be a diminutive, eta version of 'lachen'. If so, that might 'explain' the 'rationale' behind 'ridi' and 'rideti', German being a language the maestro spoke.
Oŝo-Jabe (Wasifu wa mtumiaji) 15 Septemba 2009 12:22:43 asubuhi
A definition of laugh could be: "To mark sudden happiness by widely stretching the mouth, making a characteristic facial expression and accompanying noise."
A smile: "To mark sudden happiness, by stretching the mouth, and making a characteristic facial expression."
Hence, smiling is laughing to a lesser degree, because no noise is made, and the mouth is not stretched as widely.
If you don't like "brakumi" you could also say "ĉirkaŭbraki."
Rohan (Wasifu wa mtumiaji) 15 Septemba 2009 1:03:34 asubuhi
Oŝo-Jabe:"-et" doesn't mean "little" it means "to a lesser degree." "Eta" picked up the meaning of "malgranda," (possibly because it's a nice small word) but the suffix retains it's original meaning.Eh?
If a verb is the object of discussion, 'to a lesser degree' would make sense. But what of physical objects, for example? A 'libreto' isn't really 'a book to a lesser degree', is it? It's simply a book that's small in size, i.e., a booklet.
Oŝo-Jabe (Wasifu wa mtumiaji) 15 Septemba 2009 1:30:59 asubuhi
Rohan:Okay, my explanation was an oversimplification. A better definition for "-et" that always works is "to a lesser degree, or a smaller (more charming) kind of" The first part works for adjectives, verbs, and adverbs, the second part for nouns (the "more charming" is for cases like "patreto," or "knabineto" where smallness and affection are intended.)Oŝo-Jabe:"-et" doesn't mean "little" it means "to a lesser degree." "Eta" picked up the meaning of "malgranda," (possibly because it's a nice small word) but the suffix retains it's original meaning.Eh?
If a verb is the object of discussion, 'to a lesser degree' would make sense. But what of physical objects, for example? A 'libreto' isn't really 'a book to a lesser degree', is it? It's simply a book that's small in size, i.e., a booklet.
ceigered (Wasifu wa mtumiaji) 15 Septemba 2009 1:51:33 asubuhi
But in all seriousness I agree with the OP.
And whle eta essentially means smaller (in some form of way, maybe a smaller amount of happiness, I don't know), the next expected step down from a laugh is a chuckle, with smiling covering different actions and possibly different emotions (e.g. laughter = humoured, smile = charmed/content). Maybe 'ridi' was intended to be anywhere from a chuckle to a laugh and 'ridegi' was reserved for the jolliest of fellows, leaving 'rideti' to be the step below the laugh (which is normally either a look of shock/disbelief or a smile, obviously the latter is what it means).
However without another preferred option for saying smile I've had to use 'rideti' regardless of whether it makes sense.