Despite final exams, we will meet this week at the usual time and place.
Agenda:
My brother just translated a brief excerpt from Hodgman’s book (at his request). Read all about it:
John Hodgman Spertulo Ankaŭ pri Esperanto (in Esperanto)
Topics:
Note: Beginning today we’ll be meeting in a new room: 1046 (still in the Foreign Language Building). If that room’s occupied, we’ll just pick some nearby classroom to use instead.
During the last meeting, Darcy mentioned the word gufo as the Esperanto word for “owl,” which surprised me because I knew word for owl as strigo. So, I checked into the two words.
First, I checked the Universala Vortaro, to verify that both words really are fundamenta:
Then I checked this page on European names of owls. From that it’s clear that strigo is the general term and that gufo refers to the European Eagle Owl (and, presumably, other similar large owls with feather tufts at the ears).
Kvar semajna gufido.
As far as gufujoj goes (and here I’m speaking of the no-smoking, no-alcohol drinking spots for youth at Esperanto conferences), the Esperanto Wikipedio entry says that the term was chosen because the gufo is “active at night.” But I believe this picture shows the real reason.
Doesn’t that look just like a young Esperantist who’s had too much tea (and not enough booze)?
Photo by Judepics, used under a “Creative Commons” license.
At yesterday’s meeting, I suggested that we create a list of questions that people might ask at the jarkunveno. Questions like:
I asked everyone to send a couple of questions to the Esperanto_Champaign list. For next meeting I’ll make a list and we can practice answering and asking such questions. Hopefully, a bit of practice will make everyone more comfortable attending the jarkunveno
The rest of the hour we spent writing postcards to send to Simmon Keith Barney, letting him know that there is an audience for animated films in Esperanto. I’m hoping that he’ll get six postcards from group members–maybe more.
About ten people attended the five day affair. Perhaps half were beginners; the others were already members of our new local group.
We had two goals. First, to raise the level of Esperanto ability of the beginners enough that they would be able to fully participate in the regular meetings. Second, to enable the students (who actually did participate in those meetings) to be able to fully participate in the jarkunveno in St. Louis.
We used the textbook Teach Yourself Esperanto, which worked pretty well. The book is particularly for someone who doesn’t have a class. Perhaps for that reason, the exercises are not fully appropriate for a group. We didn’t do the “translate into Esperanto” exercises, because the time to do each one was too long (with the other class members waiting). But we did do the “translate into Esperanto,” the “questions” and the “dialogs.”
In one hour a day for five days we finished five chapters. That, we’re hoping, will suffice.
Because of Esperanto week, today’s meeting will take place in room 1046 (where the class has been going on). Next week we’ll return to the regular room.
The East-Central Illinois Esperanto Club is joining Esperanto@UIUC in holding a one-week intensive course in Esperanto. Come and spend an hour a day for five days (March 30th to April 3rd at 5:00 each day in room 1046 in the Foreign Language Building) learning the international language. We’ll cover grammar, vocabulary, and basic conversational skills.
For more, see the poster for the class:
Because it will be spring break at the University of Illinois, the meeting that would normally take place on March 25th has been cancelled.