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Malantaŭ??

by Andybolg, March 28, 2007

Messages: 7

Language: English

Andybolg (User's profile) March 28, 2007, 8:52:48 PM

Early when I started learning Esperanto, I learned that "post" was the opposite of "antaŭ". Now I just started on the words for chapter 14 in "Gerda malaperis!" and found the word "malantaŭ".
What's the big difference? Why do both words exist?

Islander (User's profile) March 28, 2007, 9:54:21 PM

Indeed, the difference appears quite vague. But I believe post refers to a measurement of time or a count (after 12:00, after the 4th house, ...) while malantaŭ refers to a physical location (behind you, after you in the waiting line, ...).

erinja (User's profile) March 28, 2007, 11:09:59 PM

"Post" and "malantaŭ" mean the same thing. You could also theoretically say "malpost" to mean "antaŭ", but you never really see that.

This happens occasionally, that a word will be 'duplicated' in this way. Both forms are considered correct.

Another example is orienta/okcidenta (you could also say orienta/malorienta, or okcidenta/malokcidenta) and norda/suda (norda/malnorda, suda/malsuda)

T0dd (User's profile) March 28, 2007, 11:17:51 PM

erinja:"Post" and "malantaŭ" mean the same thing.
I always thought that it was as Islander said, i.e., that while "antaŭ" can refer to a relation in space or time, "malantaŭ" is strictly spatial and "post" is strictly temporal. I don't think I've ever seen "malantaŭ" used in reference to time, but that doesn't mean it's not out there...

erinja (User's profile) March 28, 2007, 11:28:21 PM

T0dd:
I always thought that it was as Islander said, i.e., that while "antaŭ" can refer to a relation in space or time, "malantaŭ" is strictly spatial and "post" is strictly temporal. I don't think I've ever seen "malantaŭ" used in reference to time, but that doesn't mean it's not out there...
In common use, that's true. But if you look at an Esperanto-only dictionary, both "post" and "antaux" are listed as having both spatial and temporal meanings, so it is technically correct (though not necessarily common) to use both words for both meanings.

Mendacapote (User's profile) March 29, 2007, 12:16:30 AM

Time and space are the two sides of the same coin! You can describe the time-space relationship as fisical (malantaux) or temporal (post). If your description is “static” you say for example: “she is behind me” but if it is “dynamical” you say: “she comes after me” I don’t know if it makes any sense in English, but in Spanish it does.

Paamayim (User's profile) March 29, 2007, 2:25:50 AM

Mendacapote:Time and space are the two sides of the same coin! You can describe the time-space relationship as fisical (malantaux) or temporal (post). If your description is “static” you say for example: “she is behind me” but if it is “dynamical” you say: “she comes after me” I don’t know if it makes any sense in English, but in Spanish it does.
That sounded strangely like my physics class...

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