obskura

Esperanto

Etymology

A common Romance root. Already attested in the early 20th century but uncommon until the 1930s, so influence from Ido obskura is possible.

Pronunciation

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• IPA^(key): [obˈskura]
• Rhymes: -ura
• Hyphenation: ob‧sku‧ra

Adjective

obskura (accusative singular obskuran, plural obskuraj, accusative plural obskurajn)

1. obscure (unclear)

   Synonym: malklara

2. obscure (not well-known)

   Synonym: senfama

3. dark (not light)

   Synonym: malluma

Derived terms

• obskureco
• obskurigi

Ido

Etymology

Borrowed from English obscure, French obscur, German obskur, Italian oscuro, Spanish obscuro. Decision no. 15, Progreso II.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /obˈsku.ra/

Adjective

obskura

1. (of colours) dark, not light
   • Fernando Tejón, "La anmo di kalkulilo", in Adavane!, 19, January - February 2007, 5.

     Itere esas videbla e tushebla la qualeso en la extera materiali, itere la kolori esas obskura, serioza, kolori di altaqualesa kalkulilo e ne di chipa ludilo.

     Again the quality is visible and palpable in the materials of which the exterior is made, again the colours are dark, serious, colours of a high-quality calculator and not of a cheap toy.

2. obscure, not evident, hidden
   • Jorge Luis Borges, La Biblioteko di Babel, tr. by James Chandler in 2004, "The Anatomy of Melancholy", part 2 II IV.

     (La mistiki klamas ke lia extazo revelas a li cirklala chambro kontenanta granda cirklala libro, di qua la spino es kontinua e qua sequas la kompleta cirklo dil muri; ma lia atesto es suspektenda; lia vorti, obskura. Ica ciklala libro es Deo.)

     (The mystics shout that their ecstasy reveals to them a circular chamber containing a large circular book, whose back is continuous and which traces the complete circle of the walls; but their witness is suspicious; theirs words, dark. This circular book is God.)

3. dark, gloomy, dim, without light, gloomy, somber
   • Elin Pelin, "La Nimfo", tr. by Th. Kaneff in 2004, 7.

     Elua okuli semblis obskura en la vesperala krepuskulo.

     Her eyes seemed dark in the evening twilight.

Synonyms

• malklara (archaic) [1907–1909]

Antonyms

• klara

Derived terms

• obskurigar (“to obscure, dim, darken”)
• obskureso (“obscurity”)

References

• Progreso II (in Ido), 1909–1910, page 18, 578