ceigered:Meh, who knows. I suspect he had a habit of combining words from other languages if the meaning and soibd were similar, eg havi. (have vs habere vs avoir)

Havi surely is a very international word.

And sure, he did tend to combine words from different languages, like ŝtono (en: "stone", de: "Stein" /ŝtajn/) or strato (en: "street", de: "Straße" /ŝtrase/) or najtingalo (en: "nightingale", de: "Nachtigall" /náĥtigal/). However, since German "können" and Esperanto koni mean something entirely different, I doubt that they're related in any way.

darkweasel:However, since German "können" and Esperanto koni mean something entirely different, I doubt that they're related in any way.

Bah, stupid me. I'm thinking of DE/NL "kennen", not "können". Thanks darkweasel .

(who knows though, maybe Zamenhoff had a moment of confusion like myself hehe).

Jkph, I don't know how many of the Sherlock Holmes stories have been translated into Esperanto but at least one translation is currently available. It's the Hound of the Baskervilles - La Ĉashundo de la Baskerviloj.

(I might have preferred La Hundego or La Demona Hundo)

The translation was done by a famous Esperantist poet, William Auld. Although the translation is fairly readable and grammatical, I've found it patchy - sometimes inspired and at other times a bit clunky or opaque.

I personally found the Esperantigo of all the proper names irritating too.

I've been comparing it with the French translation, and have found too many cases where the French is more readable and precise (yet French isn't my denaska lingvo).

I've had the same experience comparing Esperanto translations of Poirot and Maigret with the French versions.

In general, I suspect, the problem that causes variable quality in translated works in Esperanto is that few of them are submitted to the pen of the Publishing House Editor before being let loose on the general public.

I read somewhere an estimate that only about 25% of all the translations into Esperanto are really outstanding.

This is a pity, since it wouldn't require too much effort to bring them to the state of model texts.

Some Esperanto translations have been been produced collaboratively with translators of different mother tongues working together.

This process seems to have worked very well and compensated for the absence of an Editor.

Zamenhof's dream was that an international language would lessen misunderstanding and ill-will. He'd be discouraged if he could see the Lernu! of today, so often marred by silly squabbling.

darkweasel:

ceigered:
koni = a cross of "können" and "cognoscere" (con+gnoscere) (to know)

I can't imagine that Zamenhof actually thought of können (= to be able to) when he chose koni. Koni comes from French connaître, IMO.

I think he rather thought about "kennen". But more likely the word comes from French.

baqarah131:Zamenhof's dream was that an international language would lessen misunderstanding and ill-will. He'd be discouraged if he could see the Lernu! of today, so often marred by silly squabbling.

If humans were wise, an easy-to-learn common language would be chosen a long time ago. So no wonder people are asking silly questions and making silly squabbles. It happend, happens and will happen as long as the human kind exists.

henma:

Miland:

geo63:"daj se w żyłę"

Please provide an English translation.

Somehow, I am not completely sure we want to know what geo said

By the way, maybe, to avoid confusion, the really close friends that jkph00 referes to can be "koraj amikoj" instead of koramikoj...

Amike

Daniel.

Dankon denove, Daniel!

"Mia kora amiko" rings true for a "cordial friend," much nearer what I seek, but I fear I am still beginner enough in Esperanto that it seems to miss the emotional depth of a friend of the heart I was describing...

In American English we have the expression "blood brother" naming a friendship sealed by a blood oath when two men mix their blood, thereby pledging one another their lives if need be. Such relationships were rare and powerful. Does "kora amiko" express that, do you believe? It certainly is what my sons each experienced with their own friends, I'm sure.

Amike,
Kurt

sudanglo:Jkph, I don't know how many of the Sherlock Holmes stories have been translated into Esperanto but at least one translation is currently available. It's the Hound of the Baskervilles - La Ĉashundo de la Baskerviloj.

(I might have preferred La Hundego or La Demona Hundo)

The translation was done by a famous Esperantist poet, William Auld...

I will look for it. I enjoyed comparing the title with your suggested alternatives. Knowing the story as I do, I delighted in the different tone each alternative gave.

Dankon denove!

Kurt

jkph00:Dankon denove, Daniel!

"Mia kora amiko" rings true for a "cordial friend," much nearer what I seek, but I fear I am still beginner enough in Esperanto that it seems to miss the emotional depth of a friend of the heart I was describing...

In American English we have the expression "blood brother" naming a friendship sealed by a blood oath when two men mix their blood, thereby pledging one another their lives if need be. Such relationships were rare and powerful. Does "kora amiko" express that, do you believe? It certainly is what my sons each experienced with their own friends, I'm sure.

Amike,
Kurt

You're welcome, Kurt.

I am not sure if "kora amiko" express that. I think so.

In Spanish we have the expressions "amigo de corazón" (which could be closer to kora amiko) and, more common, "amigo del alma" (soul friend? I think "soul mate" has a more romantic connotation, the term in Spanish is used for friends, not couples, and it's closer to what you were looking initially).

I don't think that "anima amiko" is a good translation (I would think of a ghost, which is your friend, or something like that )

And "blood brothers" is "hermanos de sangre" in Spanish... same tradition, but I don't think it's so common nowadays.

Amike,

Daniel

Kurt, one Esperanto translation of an English classic you might like to read is the translation of 'Winnie the Pooh'.

Totally brilliant in my estimation, and I think it is still stocked by 'libroservoj', or not that difficult to find at Congress bookstalls.