The International Auxiliary Language Esperanto Part 20

Fractional Numbers (_Numeraloj nombronaj_).

120. Fractional numbers are formed by the addition of the suffix _-ON-_ to the cardinals, and then adding _A_, _E_, or _O_ to mark the adjective, adverb, or noun, as:--Duona = _half_, duone = _by halves_, duono = _a half_ (1/2), triona = _third_, trione = _by thirds_, triono = _a third_ (1/3).

Examples.--_La kvarona parto de dudek kvar estas la duono de dek du, tio estas ses_ = The fourth part of 24 is the half of 12, that is 6.

_Unu triono_ = One third (1/3). _Tri okonoj_ = Three eighths (3/8).

_Neniam faru ion poduone_ = Never do anything by halves. _Duone ses estas tri_ = half of six is three.

The Collectives (_Numeraloj kolektaj_).

121. The collectives are formed by the addition of the suffix _-OP-_ to the cardinals, and then adding _A_ or _E_ to mark adjectives or adverbs, as:--Duopa = _double_, _two together_, duope = _by twos_, _in pairs_, triope = _in threes_, _in triplets_, dekope = _by tens_.

Example.--_Kvinope ili sin jetis sur min_ = Five together (five at a time) they threw themselves upon me.

Reiteratives (_Numeraloj ripetaj_).

122. Reiteratives are formed by adding the adverb foje to the cardinals, as:--Unufoje = _once_, dufoje = _twice_, trifoje = _thrice_, kvarfoje = _four times_.

Examples.--_Hierau mi renkontis lin unufoje_ (or, _unu fojon_), _sed hodiau dufoje_ (or, _du fojojn_) = Yesterday I met him once, but to-day twice.

N.B.--Note that when the substantive _fojo_ is used, it is in the accusative, as denoting point of time (par. 68 (_b_)).

Distributives (_Numeraloj disdividaj_).

123. Distributives are marked by the preposition po placed before the cardinals, meaning _at the rate of_, _in the proportion of_.

Examples.--_Al ciu el la laborantoj mi pagis po kvin silingoj_ = I paid each of the workmen at the rate of five s.h.i.+llings. _Tiu ci libro enhavas sesdek pagojn; tial, se mi legos en ciu tago po dek kvin pagoj, mi finos la tutan libron en kvar tagoj_ = This book contains 60 pages, therefore if I (shall) read (in) each day at the rate of 15 pages, I shall finish the whole book in 4 days (see "_po_"

in list of prepositions, par. 259 (22)).

The Time of Day (_La horo_).

124. There are several possible ways of expressing the time of day.

"A quarter to three" (2.45) may be either:--

(_a_). Tri kvaronoj de la tria = _three-quarters of the 3rd_ (_hour_).

(_b_). La dua kaj tri kvaronoj = _the 2nd_ (_hour_) _and three-quarters_.

(_c_). Kvarono antau la tria = _a quarter before the 3rd_ (_hour_).

The last example is the only one which would be easily understood by an Englishman. Other nations use one or two of these methods, hence we find a diversity of methods used in Esperanto also. There is, however, one way used by nearly all nations, namely, that in railway time tables, and it is to be hoped that this will come into general use. Therefore to the question:--_Kioma horo estas?_ = What time (hour) is it? we might simply say as follows:--

2.0 =_La dua_ (_horo_).

2.15 =_La dua_ (_horo_) _kaj dek kvin_ (_minutoj_).

3.5 =_La tria_ (_horo_) _kvin_.

10.2 =_La deka_ (_horo_) _du_.

11.45 =_La dek-unua_ (_horo_) _kvardek kvin_.

In Italy, Belgium, etc., where the hours are numbered from one to twenty-four, this system is equally applicable, as:--4.10 p.m. in Italy = 16.10 = _La dek-sesa_ (_horo_) _dek_.

p.r.o.nOUNS (p.r.o.nomoj).

125. There are seven cla.s.ses of p.r.o.nouns:--(1) Personal, (2) Possessive, (3) Relative, (4) Interrogative, (5) Demonstrative, (6) Distributive or Collective, (7) Indefinite.

As, however, the last five cla.s.ses are so intimately connected with other parts of speech, and as some of the p.r.o.nouns represent two cla.s.ses, and some two parts of speech, it is better to treat them as correlative words (see pars. 139-157), so under the head of "p.r.o.nouns" we give only the personal and possessive.

Personal p.r.o.nouns (_personaj p.r.o.nomoj_).

126. The personal p.r.o.nouns are:--

Nominative.

Singular. 1st Person. Mi = _I_.

" 2nd Person. Vi = _you, thou_. (Ci = _thou_ is rarely used).

" 3rd Person. Li = _he_, Si = _she_, Gi = _it_.

Plural. 1st Person. Ni = _we_.

" 2nd Person. Vi = _you_, _ye_.

" 3rd Person. Ili = _they_.

Accusative.

Singular. 1st Person. Min = _me_.

" 2nd Person. Vin = _you, thee_. (Cin = _thee_ is rarely used).

" 3rd Person. Lin = _him_, Sin = _her_, Gin = _it_.

Plural. 1st Person. Nin = _us_.

" 2nd Person. Vin = _you_.

" 3rd Person. Ilin = _them_.

Oni = _one_, _people_, _they_, _we_ (like the French "on"), is an indefinite p.r.o.noun of the 3rd person. Oni may be deemed singular or plural.

Owing to the fact that in most languages the word corresponding to oni is invariable, Esperanto authors have generally avoided the accusative and possessive forms onin and onia, although they are occasionally met with. These forms are, however, perfectly regular, and may be used without hesitation if desired.

Si = _self_, _selves_, _oneself_, is a reflexive p.r.o.noun of the 3rd person, singular or plural.

Vi, like "you" in English, represents both the singular and plural, but when it refers to more than one person, words depending on it take the plural form.

Gi, like "it" in English, is used to represent things, and also persons and animals when the name does not reveal the s.e.x.

Examples.--_Mi lin amas_ = I love him. _Li min vidas_ = He sees me.

_Ili trovis lin kaj min en la gardeno_ = They found him and me in the garden. _Vi ne vidis nin_ = You did not see us. _Vi_ (plural) _estas pli sagaj, ol ili (estas)_ = You are wiser than they are.

_Si vidis ilin en la dormocambro_ = She saw them in the bedroom.