International Language Part 30

vom-i = to vomit, be sick.

vort-o = word.

= Z =

zorg-o = care.

APPENDIX A

SAMPLE PROBLEMS IN REGULAR LANGUAGE

Word-building can be made quite an amusing game for children. For instance, give them the suffixes _-ej_ (denoting place) and _-il_ (denoting instrument), and set them to form words for "school,"

"church," "factory," "knife," "warming-pan," etc. (_lernejo_, _pregejo_, _fabrikejo_, _trancito_, _varmigilo_).

But since the language is perfectly regular in form and construction, and the learner can therefore argue from case to case, it is a useful instrument for instilling clear ideas of grammatical categories. Thus give the roots-

viv-i = to live san-a = healthy hom-o = man long-a = long sag-a = wise Di-o = G.o.d don-i = to give

and set such sentences as the following to be worked out-

"He lives long"; "A long life is a gift of G.o.d"; "It is wise to live healthily"; "G.o.d is divine, man is human"; "Human life is short," etc.

The same roots constantly recur with an _-o_, _-a_, or _-e_ tacked on; and the practice in sorting out the endings, and attaching them like labels to nouns, adjectives, verbs, and adverbs, soon marks off the corresponding ideas clearly in the learner's mind.

a.n.a.logous to simple sums and conducive to clear thinking are such sentences as the following, for rather more advanced pupils:

Given-

raz-i = to shave serv-i = to serve san-a = healthy akr-a = sharp mort-i = to die ven-i = to come uz-i = to use hak-i = to hew kun = with sent-i = to feel

and the table of affixes (pp. 191-2 [Part IV, Chapter IV]).

Translate-"Constant use had blunted his razor"; "He had his servant shaved"; "He killed his companion with an axe"; "Let us send for the doctor."

More advanced exercise (on the same roots):

Translate-"O Death, where is thy sting?" "Community of service brings together men subject to death, and dulls the perception of their common mortality. Willing service dissipates the weariness of the server; the deadliness of disease is mitigated, and the place of sickness becomes a place of health."

By referring to the table of affixes, the use of which has of course been explained, the learner can work out the answers as follows:

Uz-ad-o estis mal-akr-ig-int-a lian raz-il-on. Li raz-ig-is sian serv-ant-(_or_ ist)on. Li mort-ig-is sian kun-ul-on per hak-il-o.

Ni ven-ig-u la san-ig-ist-on.

More advanced:

Ho Morto, kie estas via akr-ec-o? Kun-servo (_or_ kuneco de servo) kun-ig-as la mort-em-(ul)-ojn, kaj mal-akr-ig-as la sent-on de ilia kun-a mort-em-ec-o. Serv-em-ec-o dis-ig-as la el-uz-it-ec-on de la serv-ant-o; la mort-ig-ec-o de la mal-san-ec-o mal-akr-ig-as, kaj la mal-san-ej-o igas san-ej-o.

No national language could be used in this way for building sentences according to rules, and such exercises should give a practical grip of clear use of language. The student is obliged to a.n.a.lyse the exact meaning of every word of the English sentence, and this necessity inculcates a nice discrimination in the use of words. At the same time the necessary word-building depends upon clear-headed and logical application of rule. There is no memory work, but the mind is kept on the stretch, and the exercise is wholesome as combating confusion of thought and slovenliness of expression.

APPENDIX B

ESPERANTO HYMN BY DR. ZAMENHOF

LA ESPERO

En la mondon venis nova sento, Tra la mondo iras forta voko; Per flugiloj de facila vento Nun de loko flugu gi al loko.

Ne al glavo sangon soifanta Gi la homan tiras familion: Al la mond' eterne militanta Gi promesas sanktan harmonion.

Sub la sankta signo de l'espero Kolektigas pacaj batalantoj, Kaj rapide kreskas la afero Per laboro de la esperantoj.

Forte staras muroj de miljaroj Inter la popoloj dividitaj; Sed dissaltos la obstinaj baroj, Per la sankta amo disbat.i.taj.

Sub neutrala lingva fundamento, Komprenante unu la alian, La popoloj faros en konsento Unu grandan rondon familian.

Nia diligenta kolegaro En laboro paca ne lacigos, Gis la bela songo de l'homaro Por eterna ben' efektivigos.

LITERAL TRANSLATION

HOPE

Into the world has come a new feeling, Through the world goes a mighty call; On light wind-wings Now may it fly from place to place.

Not to the sword thirsting for blood Does it draw the human family: To the world eternally at war It promises holy harmony.

Beneath the holy banner of hope Throng the soldiers of peace, And swiftly spreads the Cause Through the labour of the hopeful.

Strong stand the walls of a thousand years Between the sundered peoples; But the stubborn bars shall leap apart, Battered to pieces by holy love.

On the fair foundation of common speech, Understanding one another, The peoples in concord shall make up One great family circle.

Our busy band of comrades Shall never weary in the work of peace, Till humanity's grand dream Shall become the truth of eternal blessing.

APPENDIX C

THE LETTER _C_ IN ESPERANTO

_c_ = _ts_ in English "bits."

This has given rise to much criticism. The same sound is also expressed by the letters _ts_. Why depart from the Esperanto principle, "one sound, one letter," and have two symbols (_c_ and _ts_) for the same sound?

A standing difficulty of an international language is: What equivalent shall be adopted for the _c_ of national languages? The difficulty arises owing to the diversity of value and history of the _c_ in diverse tongues. Philologists, who know the history of the Latin hard _c_ and its various descendants in modern languages, will appreciate this.

(1) Shall _c_ be adopted in the international language, or omitted?

If it is omitted, many useful words, which it is desirable to adopt and which are ordinarily spelt with a _c_, will have to be arbitrarily deformed, and this deformation may amount to actual obscuring of their sense. E.g. _cento_ = hundred; _centro_ = centre; _cerbo_ = brain; _certa_ = certain; _cirkonstanco_ = circ.u.mstance; _civila_ = civil, etc.

Such works would become almost unrecognizable for many in the forms kento, sento, tsento, etc.