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Translating names to Esperanto

de ljbookworm, 12 octobre 2009

Messages : 99

Langue: English

erinja (Voir le profil) 12 février 2010 02:06:24

What Trojo says is correct, and it's one way of handling this situation. However, it is also common simply not to use the -n in the case of foreign names.

In that case, "Fred vidas Bill" would be rendered just like that. You would know from word order that Fred is the subject and Bill is the object. Esperanto has flexible word order, but in cases of doubt, subject-verb-object is pretty much the default. Presumably context would also give some information.

The PMEG has a discussion of this topic, for those of you who want to read about it in Esperanto, and see some examples of Trojo's method, and also the method of not using -n at all. This is the link.

JenniferatLernu (Voir le profil) 10 septembre 2010 00:42:06

My name before I got married was:
Jennifer Kuras (or shortened, Jen Kuras)

Those are both Esperanto words which could cause confusion.

Kuri = to run, Jen = here is, look, there

Jennifer Kuras = Jennifer is running

Is 'someone' trying to suggest I should take up jogging again? okulumo.gif

Jen Kuras = look running or there is running

Anyway I'm sure I'll get used to it, but for now it is a bit odd for me doing the Bildoj kaj demandoj, #21 as it's all about Kuras.

Estu bone,
Jennifer
p.s. I think I'll just leave my first name as it is although if people want a shortform, Jena or Gxena is okay.

erinja (Voir le profil) 10 septembre 2010 01:41:12

Please choose "Jena" and not "Ĝena" as an Esperanto version of your name. "Ĝena" means "annoying" in Esperanto!

Jenjo or Ĝenjo would also be possibilities (the -nj- is a female nickname suffix)

SilverAu (Voir le profil) 10 septembre 2010 03:07:31

My name is Aurora. I don't really like the idea of translating names, but I don't mind the idea of them varying in pronunciation.

So if I was ever speaking to another Esperanto-speaker, I'd probably ask them to call me Aurora, pronounced "A-u-RO-ra."

But I have no idea if this is standard. ._.

erinja (Voir le profil) 10 septembre 2010 10:18:12

Why not just add one more accent to your name - Aŭrora - and have it come out as "ow-RO-ra", which is closer to the English pronunciation (and also easier to say than pronouncing the a and u separately?)

LyzTyphone (Voir le profil) 10 septembre 2010 10:18:23

SilverAu:My name is Aurora. I don't really like the idea of translating names, but I don't mind the idea of them varying in pronunciation.

So if I was ever speaking to another Esperanto-speaker, I'd probably ask them to call me Aurora, pronounced "A-u-RO-ra."

But I have no idea if this is standard. ._.
It's not. "Standard", if I am to assign one, will be Aŭrora　/aw-RO-ra/ or Aŭroro.

But unless it's an aliases you intend to use inside Esperanto community, or one to showcase your Esperantist identity, don't let the "standard" get into your own naming. It's after all a symbol of individuality, so don't let anything get in the way.

JenniferatLernu (Voir le profil) 10 septembre 2010 13:45:39

erinja:Please choose "Jena" and not "Ĝena" as an Esperanto version of your name. "Ĝena" means "annoying" in Esperanto!

Jenjo or Ĝenjo would also be possibilities (the -nj- is a female nickname suffix)
Oh wow! That's so funny -- thanks for letting me know.

Be well,
Jennifer/Jena

chestergirl (Voir le profil) 10 septembre 2010 15:13:01

My name's Lauren, and when people from other countries ask what to call me, I normally say Laura since my name is somewhat masculine sounding (to me that is).

So if I was to translate mine it could be Laŭreno or something like that...still sounds like a guy's name...

UUano (Voir le profil) 2 décembre 2010 18:30:39

Saluton!

What a fascinating thread to read through.

My name is Adrian, which I pronounce something like *EJ-ĝri-jen* (although my family members usually say *EJ-ĝrin*).

However, I always pronounce my name in the way most convenient for the language I am speaking. In French I pronounce my name something like *a-dri-JON* (with a nasal n), in German I pronounce it *A-dri-jan*, in Spanish I pronounce it *a-dri-AN*, and in Italian I would even spell it differently and go with *a-dri-AN-o* (which is where my name comes from anyway).

So I guess in Esperanto my name would be the same as in Italian. I never considered any nicknames though...

rideto.gif

wagg (Voir le profil) 2 décembre 2010 21:21:20

Wow, I can't believe I just read through 8 pages! This is very interesting though.

I'm just beginning to learn Esperanto, so I can't really fairly comment on what I would do with translating proper names (although I'm apparently going to anyways...), but based on these responses, I'm leaning towards a preference of the Esperantization of pronunciations in most cases. I personally don't like the disjointed sound of a random English word in the middle of an Esperanto sentence. With that said, I think it makes more sense to change the spelling to fit the pronunciation, not the literal meaning. No one mentioned changing Windows to "Fenestroj", so why would Firefox change to "Fajrovulpo"? lango.gif

For what it's worth, my (Canadian) pronunciation of Firefox definitely has a noticeable "r" sound, and I would probably write it as "Fajerfoks", with an E instead of A...I think. The sound I make between "Faj" and "r" is a schwa, I believe - kind of right in the middle of the Esperanto A and E, with a teeeeny bit of U as well...haha. Going in a different direction, I would definitely understand "Firfoks" as well. Anyways, I am for sure seeing where Esperantizing words could become difficult or controversial...

And now, as I'm sure I've already wrote too much :$ I will end with a question. If I were to Esperantize my name, Kyle, what would you recommend? Kajlo seems reasonable, and I quite like the sound of it ridulo.gif

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