The International Auxiliary Language Esperanto Part 49

One of the prepositions that may be used before the infinitive (see remarks on infinitive, par. 177).

Purpose = _In order to_, _to_, _for_, _at_, _for the purpose of_, _of_, _on_.

Examples.--_Mi mangas por vivi_ = I eat in order to live. _Por mi gi havas bonan guston_ = To me it has a pleasant (good) taste. _Li sin kuracis por resanigi_ = He treated himself (took remedies) in order to recover (be restored to health). _La plej bona metodo_ (_por_) _akiri gin_ = The best way of getting it (in order to get it). _Mi havas multon por fari_ = I have much to do. _Por miaj kvar infanoj mi acetis dek du pomojn_ = For my four children I bought twelve apples. _Litoj por du personoj_ = Beds for two people. _Tiu ci ringo estas por vi_ = This ring is for you. _Por cio_ (or, _pro cio_) _ni lin dankas_ = We thank him for everything. _Por tiu ci prezo_ = At this price. _Ni devas konfesi por sia laudo, ke_ ... = We must confess to her praise that ... _Mi ne havas tempon por fari tion_ = I have not time to do that. _Kiam la momento por foriri alvenis_, or, _Kiam la momento de foriro alvenis_ ... = When the moment for departure arrived ... _Tiu libro estas facile komprenebla por ciuj_ = That book is easily comprehensible by (for) all. _Li acetis por unu penco da teo_ = He bought a pennyworth (for a penny) of tea.

259 (24). Post = _After_, _behind_.

Is a preposition of place and time. Like its English equivalent "after," care must be taken not to confuse its meaning. For instance, "He came after me" might mean (_a_) next in succession or behind me, (_b_) after my arrival, (_c_) in pursuit of me. In Esperanto we should say:--(_a_). Li venis post mi. (_b_) Li venis post mia alveno. (_c_). Li postsekvis min (see also remarks on antau, which is the opposite of post (259 (3)).

Place = _After_, _behind_.

Examples.--_Post la rego venis lia sekvantaro_ = After (behind) the king came his suite. _"Da" post ia vorto montras, ke tiu ci vorto havas signifon de mezuro_ = "_Da_" after any (some) word shows that this word has the signification of measure.

Time = _After_, _in_, _by_, _hence_.

Examples.--_Resendu al mi la libron (post) kiam vi estos traleginta gin_ = Send back to me the book after you have read it through.

_Post tri monatoj estos la edzigo_ = The wedding will be three months hence (in three months). _Post kvarono da horo_ = In a quarter of an hour. _Tagon post tago_ = Day by day.

Manner = _After_, _by_.

Examples.--_Ili sekvis unu post la alia_ = They followed one after another. _Iom post iom si pli trankviligis_ = Little by little she became more tranquil.

As a prefix, _Postveni_ = To come after, to succeed. _Posttagmezo_ = Afternoon. _Postvivi_ = To survive.

259 (25). Preter = _Beyond_, _past_, _by_.

Differs from trans = _across_ (_beyond_), in that preter shows the movement of something pa.s.sing by, or alongside, something else.

Trans signifies that something is on the other side of a boundary, or is crossing, or has crossed that boundary (see also tra, par. 259 (33)).

Place = _Beside_, _by_, _past_.

Examples.--_Mi iris preter la fenestroj de la domo_ = I went by (past, beside) the windows of the house. _Du sinjorinoj iris preter ni, kaj transiris la straton_ = Two ladies pa.s.sed (went) by us, and crossed the street.

Preter, as a prefix, has a similar meaning.

Examples.--_Mi preteriris la fenestrojn de la domo_ = I pa.s.sed by the windows of the house. _Du sinjorinoj preteriris nin_ = Two ladies went by (pa.s.sed) us. _Mi preterlasis lin_ = I let him pa.s.s by (I let him beyond). _Li preterlasis la okazon_ = He let the occasion (opportunity) pa.s.s, _or_, he missed the opportunity.

259 (26). Pri = _Concerning._

Pri can be translated in various ways.

Reference = _Concerning_, _respecting_, _regarding_, _as regards_, _with regard to_, _as to_, _as for_, _about_, _of_, _on_.

Examples.--_Pri mia lerteco, mi povas diri_ ... = Concerning my skill, I can say ... (In this sentence it will be observed that any of the above meanings of _pri_ instead of "concerning" will give the exact sense.) _Pri tio ne diru vorton_ = As to that, don't say a word. _Ne pensu pri gi_ = Do not think of (about) it. _Li parolis pri la pentrarto_ = He spoke about (the art of) painting. _Ili miregis pri_ (or, _je_) _lia kolero_ = They were astounded at (about) his anger. _Sed pri sia fratino, ni povas diri, ke_ ... = But of her sister, we can say that ... _Tio estas verko pri la politiko_ = That is a work on politics. _Vi estas prova pri tio_ = You are right in that.

As a prefix, _Pripensi_ = To think about, to reflect.

See par. 258 (_a_) as regards the use of the prepositional expressions _rilate_, _koncerne_.

259 (27). Pro = _Because of._

Pro always relates to the cause or reason for something happening or being done. Do not confuse it with por.

Cause = _Because of_, _by reason of_, _on account of_, _for the sake of_ (_cause_), _through_, _owing to_, _from_, _for_, _of_.

Examples.--_Li demandis sin, pro kio si ploras_ = He asked her for what reason (because of what) she wept (weeps). _Li min mokis pro mia kredemo_ = He ridiculed me owing to (for) my credulity. _Li estas mortanta_ (or, _ekmortas_) _pro_ (or, _de_) _malsato_ = He is dying of (from) hunger. _Si agas pro jaluzemo_ = She acts from jealousy.

_Li ne povis piediri pro sia malforteco_ = He could not walk owing to (on account of, through) his weakness. _Pro tio, mi ne povas akompani vin_ = On that account, I cannot accompany you. _Li gin faris pro sia edzino_ = He did it because of his wife.

Pro is not used much as a prefix. _Propeti_ = To intercede.

_Propekulo_ = A scapegoat.

259 (28). Sen = _Without_.

Sen always denotes disconnection.

Disconnection = _Without_, _less_, _minus_.

Examples.--_Li alvenis sen sia amiko_ = He arrived without his friend. _Sen vi, ni estus kiel sen kapo_ = Without you we should be as without a head. _Dek sen tri estas sep_ = Ten less (minus) three is seven.

Sen is frequently used as a prefix, having the same meaning as our English suffix "less," as:--_Sendube_ = Doubtless, without doubt.

_Sensenta_ = Senseless, without feeling. _Sensenca_ = Senseless, without meaning. _Senhonta_ = Shameless, without shame.

259 (29). Spite = _In defiance of_.[21]

Spite, like malgrau, marks opposition, but in a stronger sense.

Spite means "in defiance of opposition," whilst malgrau has more the sense of "notwithstanding." Spite is not a preposition, but an adverb, and to translate the prepositional form "_in spite of_" it is usually better to use malgrau.

Opposition = _In defiance of_, _defiantly_.

Examples.--_Spite cion, kion mi povis diri, li vangfrapis la infanon_ = In defiance of all I could say, he slapped the child's face. _Spite mian malamikon_ = In defiance of my enemy.

Footnote:

[21] The root spit is often used as a verb: spiti, _to brave_, _flout_, _act in defiance of_. Amason ne spitu (Prov. 1191). Se vi malgrau tio spitos min (Lev. 26, 21). From this root we get the adjective spitema (Ps. 37, 35) and the adverb spite. Hence there are often found in the literature such forms as spite al vi, spite de tio; and, consequently (with the accusative instead of the preposition), spite vin, spite tion, spite mian malamikon (par. 247).

259 (30). Sub = _Under_.

Sub may be followed by the accusative of direction. It is the opposite of sur = _on_.

Place = _Under_, _beneath_.

Examples.--_La hundo kuris sub la tablon por ekkapti la katon, kiu kusis sub la tablo_ = The dog ran under the table to seize the cat that was lying under the table. _Muso estas sub la kanapo_ = A mouse is under the sofa.

Manner = _In_, _on_.

Examples.--_Io, sub la formo de kato, transkuris la straton_ = Something, in the shape of a cat, ran across the street. _Li iris sub la kondico, ke neniu lin akompanu_ = He went on (under) the condition that no one should accompany him.