The International Auxiliary Language Esperanto: Grammar & Commentary

by George Cox

(Gramatikaj Finiĝoj).

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 Passive. Farata, being done.
ITA	final denotes	Past Participle Passive. Farita, having been done.
OTA	final denotes	Future Participle Passive. 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 passive 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.)

• -AĈ- Denotes badness of quality or condition (aĉ-a, vile, bad), (par. [271]):
• dom-o, a house, dom-aĉ-o, a tumble-down house.
• ĉeval-o, a horse, ĉeval-aĉ-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.
• -AĴ- Denotes some real or concrete thing made from, or having the quality of, the root (aĵ-o, a thing), (par. [271]):
• mola, soft, mol-aĵ-o, a soft thing, or substance.
• frukt-o, fruit, frukt-aĵ-o, jam.
• -AN- Denotes a member, inhabitant, or partisan (an-o, a member, etc.), (par. [272]):
• vilaĝ-o, a village, vilaĝ-an-o, a villager.
• London-o, London, London-an-o, a Londoner.
• -AR- Denotes a collection of the idea implied in the root (ar-o, a collection, flock), (par. [273]):
• arb-o, a tree, arb-ar-o, a wood.
• hom-o, a man, hom-ar-o, mankind.
• -ĈJ- These letters, substituted for one or more of the letters of a masculine name, make it an affectionate diminutive (par. [274]):
• Petr-o, Peter, Pe-ĉj-o, Pete.
• Vilhelm-o, William, Vilhel-ĉj-o, Willie, Vilhe-ĉj-o, Will, Vil-ĉj-o, Billy, Vi-ĉj-o, Bill.
• For feminine names insert nj instead of ĉj (par. [274]):
• Mari-o, Mary, Ma-nj-o, Polly.
• Helen-o, Helen, Hele-nj-o, Nelly, He-nj-o, Nell.
• -EBL- Denotes possibility, similar to the English terminations -able, -ible (ebl-a, possible, ebl-e, perhaps), (par. [275]):
• leg-i, to read, leg-ebl-a, legible.
• tra-vid-i, to see through, tra-vid-ebl-a, transparent.
• -EC- Denotes an abstract quality of the idea conveyed in the root, like the English terminations -ness, -tude, -ity (ec-o, a distinctive mark, or quality), (par. [271]):
• bon-a, good, bon-ec-o, goodness.
• riĉ-a, rich, riĉ-ec-o, wealth.
• -EDZ- Denotes a married person (edz-o, a husband), (par. [276]):
• doktor-o, a doctor, doktor-edz-in-o, a doctor’s wife, lav-ist-in-o, a washerwoman, lav-ist-in-edz-o, a washerwoman’s husband.
• -EG- Denotes augmentation, intensity of degree (eg-a, intense, eg-ec-o, intensity), (par. [277]):
• grand-a, great, grand-eg-a, enormous.
• pord-o, a door, pord-eg-o, a portal, outer-door.
• -EJ- Denotes the place specially used for, or allotted to, the idea implied in the root (ej-o, place, location), (par. [278]):
• preĝ-i, to pray, preĝ-ej-o, a church.
• tomb-o, a grave, tomb, tomb-ej-o, a graveyard, cemetery.
• -EM- Denotes propensity, inclination, disposition (em-o, a disposition, bias, tendency), (par. [275]):
• babil-i, to chatter, babil-em-a, chattering.
• pac-o, peace, pac-em-a, inclined to peace, peaceful.
• -ER- Denotes one of many objects of the same kind, a small fragment (er-o, an item), (par. [273]):
• sabl-o, sand, sabl-er-o, a grain of sand.
• mon-o, money, mon-er-o, a coin.
• -ESTR- Denotes a chief, leader, ruler, or head of (estr-o, a chief), (par. [272]):
• ŝip-o, a ship, ŝip-estr-o, a captain of a ship.
• imperi-o, an empire, imperi-estr-o, an emperor.
• -ET- Denotes diminution of degree (et-a, little, small), (par. [277]):
• mont-o, a mountain, mont-et-o, a hill.
• rid-i, to laugh, rid-et-i, to smile.
• -ID- Denotes the young of, offspring, descendant (id-o, offspring), (par. [279]):
• ŝaf-o, a sheep, ŝaf-id-o, a lamb.
• Izrael-o, Israel, Izrael-id-o, an Israelite.
• -IG- Denotes the causing, making, or rendering anything to be in the state implied by the root (ig-i, to cause, to make), (par. [280]):
• mort-i, to die, mort-ig-i, to kill.
• pur-a, clean, pur-ig-i, to clean, purify.
• -IĜ- Denotes the action of becoming, turning to, and has sometimes a reflexive force (iĝ-i, to become, to be made), (par. [280]):
• ruĝ-a, red, ruĝ-iĝ-i, to become red, to blush.
• riĉ-a, rich, riĉ-iĝ-i, to become, or grow rich, or to get rich.
• -IL- Denotes the tool or instrument or means by which something is done (il-o, a tool, means), (par. [281]):
• tranĉ-i, to cut, tranĉ-il-o, a knife.
• pres-i, to print, pres-il-o, a printing press.
• -IN- Denotes the feminine gender (in-o, a female), (par. [282]):
• frat-o, a brother, frat-in-o, a sister.
• leon-o, a lion, leon-in-o, a lioness.
• -IND- Denotes worthiness, deserving of something, worthy of (ind-o, worth, merit), (par. [275]):
• laŭd-i, to praise, laŭd-ind-a, praiseworthy.
• estim-o, esteem, estim-ind-a, estimable, worthy of esteem.
• -ING- Denotes a thing used for holding only one object (ing-o, a socket, or sheath), (par. [278]):
• plum-o, a pen, plum-ing-o, a penholder.
• kandel-o, a candle, kandel-ing-o, a candlestick.
• -ISM- Denotes a theory, system, doctrine, school of thought (ism-o, an "ism"), (par. [293]):
• real-a, real, real-ism-o, realism.
• protestant-o, a protestant, protestant-ism-o, protestantism.
• -IST- Denotes a person occupied with the idea contained in the root (par. [272]):
• drog-o, a drug, drog-ist-o, a druggist.
• ŝtel-i, to steal, ŝtel-ist-o, a thief.
• -NJ- See ĈJ, page 29, and par. [274].
• -OBL- Denotes a numeral multiple (par. [284]):
• du, two, du-obl-a, double.
• tri, three, tri-obl-a, triple.
• -ON- Denotes a numeral fraction (par. [284]):
• kvar, four, kvar-on-o, a fourth.
• kvin, five, kvin-on-o, a fifth.
• -OP- Denotes a numeral collective (op-a, collective), (par. [284]):
• du, two, du-op-e, by twos.
• dek, ten, dek-op-e, by tens, ten together.
• -UJ- Denotes that which contains, produces, encloses, or bears, a quantity or more than one article (uj-o, a receptacle), (par. [278]):
• ink-o, ink, ink-uj-o, an inkpot.
• plum-o, a pen, plum-uj-o, a pen box (not a penholder).
• turk-o, a Turk, Turk-uj-o, Turkey.
• -UL- Denotes a person or being characterized by the idea implied in the root (par. [272]):
• riĉ-a, rich, riĉ-ul-o, a rich man.
• avar-a, avaricious, avar-ul-o, a miser.
• -UM- Has no defined meaning. The meaning of a word with um is suggested by the context and the signification of the root to which it is joined. It is rarely used (par. [285]):
• kol-o, a neck, kol-um-o, a collar.
• plen-a, full, plen-um-i, to fulfil.
• man-o, a hand, man-um-o, a cuff.

55. LIST OF PREFIXES (Prefiksoj).

• BO- Denotes any relationship resulting from marriage (par. [286]):
• patro, a father, bo-patro, a father-in-law.
• filino, a daughter, bo-filino, a daughter-in-law.
• DIS- Denotes division, dissemination, separation, etc., (dis-e, separately), (par. [287]):
• ĵeti, to throw, dis-ĵeti, to throw about, to scatter.
• ŝiri, to tear, dis-ŝiri, to tear in pieces.
• EK- Denotes the beginning of an action, or its short duration (par. [288]):
• kanti, to sing, ek-kanti, to begin to sing.
• brili, to shine, ek-brili, to flash.
• EKS- Denotes late, formerly, like the English ex-.
• kolonelo, colonel, eks-kolonelo, ex-colonel.
• edziĝo, a wedding, eks-edziĝo, a divorce.
• GE- Denotes persons of both sexes taken together (par. [286]):
• patro, a father, ge-patroj, parents, or father and mother.
• mastro, a master, ge-mastroj, master and mistress.
• MAL- Denotes the direct opposite of any idea (mal-e, on the contrary), (par. [289]):
• forta, strong, mal-forta, weak.
• estimi, to esteem, mal-estimi, to despise.
• MIS- Denotes mis-, amiss, wrongly, erroneously.
• RE- Denotes, as in English, repetition, again, back (re-e, again), (par. [290]):
• iri, to go, re-iri, to go again.
• diri, to say, re-diri, to repeat.

55 (a). PREPOSITIONS AND OTHER ROOTS USED AS PREFIXES.

On reference to par. [254], it will be seen that prepositions are frequently used as prefixes. A good many other particles also are used in the same way, e.g.:—