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Let's get rid of "la" - "THE" definite article in Esperanto

de k1attack, 7 mai 2010

Messages : 65

Langue: English

k1attack (Voir le profil) 7 mai 2010 18:20:14

Esperanto doesn't have "an" indefinite article, but I think "the" definite article - "la" - should also be removed from Esperanto. It's needless!

What do you think?

UPDATE: I don't think that anymore!

darkweasel (Voir le profil) 7 mai 2010 18:50:15

Why do people keep proposing changes to a living language?

tommjames (Voir le profil) 7 mai 2010 19:03:33

darkweasel:Why do people keep proposing changes to a living language?
+1

horsto (Voir le profil) 7 mai 2010 19:18:20

I would accept this if the indefinite and definite articles in all other languages are also removed.

andogigi (Voir le profil) 7 mai 2010 19:31:02

I know that there are many languages which do not use a definite or an indefinite article. However, I have noticed more ambiguity in those languages than is necessary due to their absence. For this reason, I would have to vote "no" since I think most Esperantists desire more clarity in communication, not less.

I'm curious to know your reasons for wanting to eliminate them.

andogigi (Voir le profil) 7 mai 2010 19:36:54

darkweasel:Why do people keep proposing changes to a living language?
I've asked myself this many times and I think I have an answer.

I work for a company which makes construction machines. As any engineer will tell you, the one constant when creating a new machine, system, or anything else is that every user on the planet feels that they could have designed it better than you did. 99% of your clients will think it. 50% of your clients will say it. It seems to be a part of human nature. Being in field service and working with customers means that I see it all the time.

Most engineers know this, accept it, and tend to ignore it. (unless the suggestions come from multiple sources and have some merit) IMHO, it is probably one of the more difficult aspects of the profession.

milupo (Voir le profil) 7 mai 2010 19:39:45

@k1attack: Strange, it seems you are a native speaker of English. English has even two articles. Why do you want that Esperanto shall have no articles?

qwertz (Voir le profil) 7 mai 2010 20:13:15

k1attack:Esperanto doesn't have "an" indefinite article, but I think "the" definite article - "la" - should also be removed from Esperanto. It's needless!

What do you think?
I'm not very deep into this but in my opinion the "la" accentuates something, isn't? That could be quite useful in written language.

Donniedillon (Voir le profil) 7 mai 2010 20:16:23

darkweasel:Why do people keep proposing changes to a living language?
+1...again

Roberto12 (Voir le profil) 7 mai 2010 20:57:53

What andogigi said.

Though I don't support abolishing "la", I understand k1attack's sentiment. There are numerous natlangs that don't have articles, and despite the loss of precision, they get along fine. Maybe auxlangs should air on the side of simplicity and do the same.

Anyone Polish (for example) or who knows any Poles for whom English is a second language will understand just how hard it can be for them to master "the". I've read high-level documents written by Poles that had "the" mistakes in them (i.e. not being there when it should've been and vice versa).

The irony in all of this is that Z himself was a Pole! But if it's true that the Eo definite article is simpler/more logical than natlang ones, then my comments in this post don't carry much weight.

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