Ch 19 · Lesson 17Esperanto · Chapter 19 · Lesson 17 · Grammar primer
-an- and the words for peoples
-An- makes a member of anything: o, o, . is a place, the state, and some words for peoples have moved: , inuito, romao.
The short version
-an- makes a member of anything
, !
Why?Hide
-An- means a member of, and it works on anything with members: a country (), a town (o), a village (o), a club (o) or a faith (). , same-idea member, is the movement's word for a fellow Esperantist.
The -an- suffix
-- means a member of, and it works on anything that has members, from a continent down to a club:
a town
a village
a club
| Root | With -an- | English |
|---|---|---|
o | | a European |
| | a townsperson |
| | a villager |
Parizo | parizano | a Parisian |
| | a club member |
| | a Muslim |
Kristo | | a Christian |
| | a fellow |
| | a compatriot |
, same-idea member, is the movement's own word for a fellow Esperantist:
, !- Welcome, dear fellow Esperantists!
Lando, ŝtato, nacio, popolo
English blurs these; Esperanto keeps them apart:
| Word | What it names |
|---|---|
| a country, as a place on the map |
| a state: the political body |
| a realm, a state and its territory |
| a republic |
| a nation: a people as a political body |
| a people, the population taken together |
| an ethnic group, by descent |
| a tribe |
| a citizen |
The pair to get right first is , the place, and , the apparatus:
o .- Canada is a big country..- The state pays for the schools..- The people voted.
, international, is built on : between nations.
Words that have moved
Some words for peoples are shifting, as their English equivalents have. The older words are still met and understood; many writers now prefer the newer ones:
| Older word | Often preferred | English |
|---|---|---|
| | a Native American |
eskimo | inuito | an Inuk |
cigano | romao | a person |
Esperanto always kept apart from , a person from India, but still comes from the old mistake. The rule underneath needs no vocabulary: name people as they name themselves, and prefer the specific name of a nation to the general . Eskimo also covers peoples who are not Inuit, so inuito is the word for the Inuit only.
Mistakes English speakers make
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
usonoj | | the people of Usono take -an- |
aŭstralo | aŭstraliano | Aŭstralio is a country-first name |
Ameriko (USA) | Usono | Ameriko is the continent |
Rusio (a Russian) | | Rusio is the country |
Going further: The people come first and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
Practice
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One question at a time, mixed across the exercises in this lesson. Miss one and it comes back round before the end.
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