The International Auxiliary Language Esperanto Part 7

Terminal Letters.--If the last syllable ends in the sound of a consonant, it is generally right to add _O_ to the last consonant of the English word, to form a noun, as:--_Diadem_ = diademo, _diagonal_ = diagonalo, _granite_ = granito, _dialogue_ = dialogo, _debate_ = debato. There are, of course, exceptions.

Beginners should always consult an Esperanto Dictionary if they have any doubt as to internationality or spelling. Note the following terminations, which have a peculiarity of their own:--

-ER. = _RO_ generally, for a noun, as:--_December_ = Decembro, _diameter_ = diametro. Words like "centre," "theatre," etc., sometimes spelt "center," "theater," follow the rule, as:--Centro, teatro.

-IC and -ICAL. = _A_ or _IA_. These terminations are English suffixes for adjectives. Esperanto, however, discards them and gives its own adjectival suffix _A_, as _Galvanic_ = galvana, _hypnotic_ = hipnota, _theatrical_ = teatra, _identical_ = identa, _theoretic_ = teoria, _geographical_ = geografia. (See remarks on -OGY and -ISM).

-ICS. = _KO_. The English termination -ICS has a plural form, but in Esperanto -CS is generally represented by -KO, and not the plural -KOJ, as:--_Mathematics_ = matematiko, etc.

-INE. The I in this termination is occasionally turned into E, as:--_Gelatine_ = gelateno. More commonly it is retained, as:--_Glycerine_ = glicerino.

-ISH. = _DUBE_ (doubtful) may be prefixed to colours to form the adjective in _-ish_, as:--Dubenigra = _blackish_, dubeblanka = _whitish_, dubeverda = _greenish_. It is, however, better to use the suffix -et, thus: nigreta, verdeta.

-ISM. In many cases the ending -ISM forms part of an international root, and is thus used in Esperanto also; e.g., paroksismo = _paroxysm_, sofismo = _a sophism_, _fallacy_, aforismo = _an aphorism_, are simple words, for there are no roots paroks, sof (in this sense), afor. In the majority of cases the English suffix _-ism_ and the Esperanto suffix -ism coincide, thus: komunismo = _communism_, vegetarismo = _vegetarianism_.

Sometimes the English _-ism_ has the meaning -ec, thus: heroeco = _heroism_, fanatikeco = _fanaticism_. _Catholicism_ may mean katolikismo or katolikeco.

-IST. Esperanto words ending in -ism often have companion forms in -ist, to which similar remarks apply, as:--sofisto = _a sophist_, komunisto = _a communist_.

-MENT. When this is the English termination of a noun derived from a root not ending in -MENT, it becomes O, as:--_Embarra.s.s_ = embarasi, _embarra.s.sment_ = embaraso, _rebate_ = rabati, _rebatement_ = rabato. But when -MENT is part of the English root it is retained, as:--_Element_ = elemento, _experiment_ = eksperimento, _fundament_ = fundamento.

-OGY. Words derived from the Greek change _Y_ into _IO_, as:--_Geology_ = geologio, _theology_ = teologio. The adjectives of these words end in -IC and -ICAL, and, as their Esperanto root ends in -I, A must be added to this to form the adjectives geologia, teologia.

-SIS. = _ZO_ generally, as:--_Apotheosis_ = apoteozo, _hypothesis_ = hipotezo, _oasis_ = oazo, _synthesis_ = sintezo.

-TH. = _T_, as:--_Hyacinth_ = hiacinto.

-TION. = _CIO_ occasionally, as:--_Declaration_ = deklaracio, _exposition_ = ekspozicio, _arbitration_ = arbitracio, _generation_ = generacio, _situation_ = situacio. Usually, however, English _-tion_ corresponds to Esperanto -o, -ado, or -ajo, as:--_information_ = inform-o, -ado, -ajo; and such forms are often used even when an alternative form in -cio exists, thus: deklar-o, -ajo.

-UM. = _O_ generally, as:--_Epithalamium_ = epitalamio, _gymnasium_ (_college_) = gimn.a.z.io, _geranium_ = geranio.

-Y. = _IO_ generally in words derived from Latin or Greek, as:--_Philosophy_ = filozofio, _astronomy_ = astronomio, _sympathy_ (_liking_) = simpatio, _industry_ = industrio.

53. GRAMMATICAL TERMINATIONS

(Gramatikaj Finigoj).

A final denotes an Adjective. Patra, _paternal_.

E final denotes an Adverb. Patre, _paternally_.

I final denotes the Infinitive Mood. Fari, _to do_.

O final denotes a Noun. Patro, _a father_.

U final denotes the Imperative Mood. Faru, _do_.

Li faru, _let him do_.

Diru, ke li faru tion, _say he is to do that_.

J final denotes the Plural. Patroj, _fathers_.

N final denotes the Accusative Case. Patron.

Mi vidis mian patron, _I saw my father_.

AS final denotes the Present Tense.

Mi faras, _I do_, or, _I am doing_.

IS final denotes the Past Tense.

Li faris, _he did_, or, _he has done_.

OS final denotes the Future Tense. Ni faros, _we shall do_.

US final denotes the Conditional Mood.

Vi farus, _you should_, or _would_, _do_.

ANTA final denotes Present Participle Active.

Faranta, _doing_.

INTA final denotes Past Participle Active.

Farinta, _having done_.

ONTA final denotes Future Participle Active.

Faronta, _about to do_.

ATA final denotes Present Participle Pa.s.sive.

Farata, _being done_.

ITA final denotes Past Participle Pa.s.sive.

Farita, _having been done_.

OTA final denotes Future Participle Pa.s.sive.

Farota, _about to be done_.

N.B.--There are three forms of participles, the adjectival, substantival, and adverbial. The one given above is the adjectival.

In the adverbial form the final A is changed into E. Farante tion, li ... = _By_ (_in_, or _through_) _doing that, he_ ... To form the substantive, change A into O. La faranto = _The doer_ (_the person doing_). These three forms are applicable to all the three participles in both the active and pa.s.sive voices (see pars.

208-210).

LIST OF SUFFIXES (Sufiksoj).

54. The following lists of suffixes (31) and prefixes (7 in number) should be carefully studied, since innumerable words of the finest shade of meaning can be formed by their aid, in fact, they are the ground-work of the language. In cases where a suffix can be used as a root, the word it helps to form is given. The hyphens are used only to show the root, suffix, and grammatical termination of the examples. The student should form other words himself, and study the works of the best authors. (For remarks on suffixes and prefixes, see pars. 270-290.)

-AC- Denotes badness of quality or condition (ac-a, _vile_, _bad_), (par. 271):

dom-o, _a house_, dom-ac-o, _a tumble-down house_.

ceval-o, _a horse_, ceval-ac-o, _a sorry nag_.

-AD- Denotes the continuation of an action (par. 270):

paf-o, _a shot_, or _discharge_, paf-ad-o, _a firing_, _fusillade_.

ir-i, _to go_, ir-ad-i, _to continue going_.

-AJ- Denotes some real or concrete thing made from, or having the quality of, the root (aj-o, _a thing_), (par. 271):

mola, _soft_, mol-aj-o, _a soft thing_, or _substance_.

frukt-o, _fruit_, frukt-aj-o, _jam_.

-AN- Denotes a member, inhabitant, or partisan (an-o, _a member, etc._), (par. 272):