riddle@ut-sally.UUCP (Prentiss Riddle) (01/10/85)
Thanks to all those who corrected me about "Usono" and "Usonano".
Yes, the different treatment of various national names is one of those
little inconsistencies that crept into Esperanto. Apparently it's all
supposed to be very logical assuming you know which word is the root and
which is the derivative; here's what the "Plena Vortaro de Esperanto kun
Suplemento" (Paris, 1934/1964) has to say in its entry on "-uj-":
Sufikso signifanta: ... 3. Landon, lo^gatan de la popolo
montrita per la radiko : "Francujo, Anglujo, Germanujo,
Esperantujo" (Zamenhof); "ne ^ciu Rusujano estas Ruso"
(Zamenhof). Rimarko i: Oni devas severe eviti la uzon de
tiu sufikso post nomoj fini^gantaj per "lando." Rimarko
ii: La sufikso "uj" estas uzata nur por la landoj de
E^uropo (krom: Irlando, Islando, Finnlando, Holando,
Nederlando) kaj Azio. Tamen apud "Egipto" (Bein) (lando
de Egiptanoj) oni trovas anka^u la formon "Egiptujo"
(Zamenhof) (lando de Egiptoj).
So Esperanto has basic roots for the occupants of most of the nations of
Europe and Asia and derives the names of the countries from them using
"-uj"; for the rest of the world (like "Usono"), the country is the root
and the nationality is derived from it using "-an".
Jes, multaj problemoj! It's still easier than any national language I've
ever seen...
--- Prentiss Riddle ("Aprendiz de todo, maestro de nada.")
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