Paul quoted Don H:
>> Ruøkapuæetulino
>
>    For me, this is an all-too-typical example of Esperanto's
>portmanteau words which are puzzles to be deciphered rather
>than effective means to communication.  I had to stop and work
>this one out, and in conversation it would have been impossible.

This is of course the problem you will have if you design an international
language. You can simplify word formation according to specific rules or
you can try building a vocabulary as easy to understand as possible. Let's
suppose that I had grown up in an English-speaking country with a mother
who had spoken Swedish to me all the time but never had read any
fairy-tales to me. But let us suppose that I would still have a very good
Swedish vocabulary, so that I would know what a _luva_ is, then I would
anyway have to think twice before understanding _Rödluvan_ (red
woollen-cap). As for titles the question will very often be: "What's the
title in your language". Therefore a classic Polish film from the early
60's (or late 50's): Ewa wants to sleep. became "Night's games" in Swedish.

The Esperanto title I would understand as "The little woollen-cap girl" or
"The little female o' the woollen cap". I would have to supply the
translation _woman_ or _girl_, that's why I put _female_ to be sure.

To me _Cinderella_ was as strange as _Cindrulino_ (the Ash female person)
as the name in Swedish is _The little ash brat_. (Little child that you
don't love at all) or rather "The Ash Brat".

In Interlingua you can understand _cinderella_ in the same way, from
_cindere_ ashes > -ell- a diminutive and -a as a feminine marker.

Which method you will prefer will depend from your stance in the
discussions we have had about comprehensibility etc. here....




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