Parazito already has the meaning of a person (see NPIV definitions 1. and 2.) in addition to its biological meaning, and clearly is a term of condemnation.

Marfundbesto?
Tervermo?
Panero-manĝemulo?
Ŝlim-trarampemulo?

jefusan:Marfundbesto?
Tervermo?
Panero-manĝemulo?
Ŝlim-trarampemulo?

"Marfundbesto" is a sea bottom dweller, isn't it? If someone called you that, would you understand you were being branded as a low life (another American English idiom)?

Hm—m-m. "Panero-manĝemulo," a "crumb licker?" Now THAT's beginning to have some feeling!

"Ŝlim" I learned (Dankon!) is the root from mud or slime, either one having the right connotation, but I fear I can't make anything yet of the first part of "traramp(emulo)." Can you help me out here? The word certainly rolls from the tongue with room for inflection. I certainly like that!

By the way, everyone, does betoning a particular word when speaking add emphasis or highlight to it in Esperanto? It certainly does in (American) English, but does not particularly in German.

jkph00:

jefusan:Marfundbesto?
Tervermo?
Panero-manĝemulo?
Ŝlim-trarampemulo?

"Marfundbesto" is a sea bottom dweller, isn't it? If someone called you that, would you understand you were being branded as a low life (another American English idiom)?

Hm—m-m. "Panero-manĝemulo," a "crumb licker?" Now THAT's beginning to have some feeling!

"Ŝlim" I learned (Dankon!) is the root from mud or slime, either one having the right connotation, but I fear I can't make anything yet of the first part of "traramp(emulo)." Can you help me out here? The word certainly rolls from the tongue with room for inflection. I certainly like that!

By the way, everyone, does betoning a particular word when speaking add emphasis or highlight to it in Esperanto? It certainly does in (American) English, but does not particularly in German.

I was looking for something that got across the image of an actual bottom feeder -- some kind of sea creature that feeds on bigger animals' scraps and waste. That seems to me to be the essence of what the English term "bottom feeder" means: a scavenger depending on what others wouldn't touch.

That's why I awkwardly put together my other compounds: a crumb-eater and a crawler-through-mud...

Jefusan I like that idea of something that eats what other creatures avoid, makes it morally ambiguous while keeping the idea that it's not normal and somewhat oppurtunistic compared to normal human values..

jefusan:

jkph00:

jefusan:Marfundbesto?
Tervermo?
Panero-manĝemulo?
Ŝlim-trarampemulo?

"Marfundbesto" is a sea bottom dweller, isn't it? If someone called you that, would you understand you were being branded as a low life (another American English idiom)?

Hm—m-m. "Panero-manĝemulo," a "crumb licker?" Now THAT's beginning to have some feeling!

"Ŝlim" I learned (Dankon!) is the root from mud or slime, either one having the right connotation, but I fear I can't make anything yet of the first part of "traramp(emulo)." Can you help me out here? The word certainly rolls from the tongue with room for inflection. I certainly like that!

By the way, everyone, does betoning a particular word when speaking add emphasis or highlight to it in Esperanto? It certainly does in (American) English, but does not particularly in German.

I was looking for something that got across the image of an actual bottom feeder -- some kind of sea creature that feeds on bigger animals' scraps and waste. That seems to me to be the essence of what the English term "bottom feeder" means: a scavenger depending on what others wouldn't touch.

That's why I awkwardly put together my other compounds: a crumb-eater and a crawler-through-mud...

Ah! The lights go on for me! Ŝlim-trarampemulo - A slime crawler! Multe dankon, amiko! THAT is the word I wanted for "bottom feeder." Tell me, how did you acquire your knowledge of Esperanto? I obviously need to imitate how you did it.

jkph00:Tell me, how did you acquire your knowledge of Esperanto? I obviously need to imitate how you did it.

Oh, you definitely should not emulate my methods. I taught myself using various books, and though I can read it moderately well, I haven't practiced conversation enough to get through it without a lot of help with a dictionary.