Translation
instrument (musical or scientific)
Word origin
From Latin instrumentum, a tool or piece of equipment, from instruere 'to build up, to equip', itself in- plus struere 'to pile up'. The word travelled into every major European language unchanged in meaning, which is why Esperanto took it whole.
- Origin
- Latin
- Root
- instrumentum
- English cognates
- instrument, instruct, structure
Examples
.
The violin is my favourite instrument.
.
The doctor used a special instrument.
?
Do you play any instrument?
Watch the seam that is not there. sits next to instrui "to teach" in the dictionary and looks for all the world like instru- plus a suffix -ment-, the way English has instruct and instrument from one Latin verb. But Esperanto has no -ment- suffix at all, and there is no way to cut this word into working parts: instrument- is a single root that must be learned entire. The Latin relationship is real; the Esperanto derivation is not.
Contrast ilo, which is a genuine root and also the productive suffix --: a hammer is a o in nobody's Esperanto, but a o is a knife because -- really does build tools. covers the musical sense (a violin, a drum) and the precision sense (a surgeon's or an astronomer's instrument); for an ordinary hand tool, is the better word.
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instrumento: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Esperanto word "instrumento" (instrument (musical or scientific)): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 38.