LESSON XVIII.
THE DEMONSTRATIVE ADVERB OF MOTIVE OR REASON.
78. The demonstrative adverb of motive or reason, related to the demonstrative pronoun tiu, is tial, therefore, for that reason, so:
Tial la servisto foriris, therefore the servant went away.
Tial mi gratulis lin, for that reason I congratulated him.
Tial oni forpelis lin, so they drove him away.
DERIVATION OF ADVERBS.
79. Adverbs may be derived from roots whose meaning permits, by addition of the adverb-ending -e, as feliĉe, happily, kolere, angrily. The comparison of adverbs is similar to that of adjectives:
| Positive. | Comparative. | Superlative. |
| saĝe, wisely | pli saĝe, more wisely | plej saĝe, most wisely |
| bone, well | pli bone, better | plej bone, best |
| malbone, badly | pli malbone, worse | plej malbone, worst |
| ruze, slyly | pli ruze, more slyly | plej ruze, most slyly |
MALPLI AND MALPLEJ.
80. The opposites (67) of pli and plej are malpli, less, and malplej, least. Their use is similar to that of pli and plej. (These adverbs may also modify verbs):
Li estas malpli kuraĝa, he is less courageous.
Tiuj estis malplej akraj, those were least sharp.
La vento blovis malpli forte, the wind blew less strongly.
Li skribis malplej zorge, he wrote least carefully.
Mi malpli timas ilin, I fear them less.
Vi malplej bezonos helpon, you will need help least.