Esperanto edit

Etymology edit

From al- +‎ teni.

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): [alˈteni]
  • Rhymes: -eni
  • Hyphenation: al‧te‧ni

Verb edit

alteni (present altenas, past altenis, future altenos, conditional altenus, volitive altenu)

  1. (transitive) to hold on, cling (to); to rivet
    • Karlo Bodó (translator), “Ŝminko” in Norda Vento by Frigyes Karinthy,
      Terurite mi kaptis la lampon kaj altenis ĝin.
      Terrified, I grabbed the lamp and held on to it.
    • Vladimír Váňa (translator), Aventuroj de la Brava Soldato Švejk dum la Mondmilito (The Good Soldier Švejk) by Jaroslav Hašek, Part 4, Chapter 3,
      ĉu interrompi kakadon kaj elflugi tra pordo de necesejo, per unu manon altenante al si pantalonon kaj per la alia donante la honoron.
      In such circumstances should he stop shitting in the middle of the process and fly out of the door of the W.C., holding his trousers (lit. to himself) in one hand and saluting with the other? (Cecil Parrott translation, Heinemann, 1973)
    • Cecil Bean (translator), La Naiveco de Pastro Brown (The Innocence of Father Brown) by G. K. Chesterton,
      La aliaj fikse rigardis lin, la okuloj kaptitaj kaj altenitaj.
      The rest stared at him with eyes arrested and riveted [...]
  2. (reflexive) to hold on, cling
    • Vladimír Váňa (translator), Aventuroj de la Brava Soldato Švejk dum la Mondmilito (The Good Soldier Švejk) by Jaroslav Hašek, Part 1, Chapter 10, II,
      “Mi estis ĉe la ĉefepiskopo,” li kriegis, altenante sin ĉe la pordego en la veturkoridoro.
      ‘I’ve been with the archbishop,’ he shouted, clinging to the gate in the carriage entrance. (Cecil Parrott translation, Heinemann, 1973)

Conjugation edit