The Esperanto Teacher: A Simple Course for Non-Grammarians Part 4

Kie estas la trancxiloj? Ili kusxas sur la tablo. La infano ploras, cxar gxi volas mangxi. Sinjoro, vi estas negxentila. Sinjoroj, vi estas negxentilaj. Oni diras; ke la vero cxiam venkas. La domo apartenas al li. Mi venas de la avo, kaj mi iras nun al la onklo. Mi estas tiel forta, kiel vi. Nun mi legas, vi legas, kaj li legas, ni cxiuj legas. Vi skribas, kaj la infanoj skribas, ili (vi) cxiuj sidas silente kaj skribas.

Mia hundo, vi estas tre fidela. Li estas mia onklo, cxar mia patro estas lia frato. El cxiuj miaj infanoj, Ernesto estas la plej juna. Lia patro kaj liaj fratoj estas en la gxardeno. sxia onklo estas en la domo. Kie estas viaj libroj? Niaj libroj kusxas sur la tablo; iliaj krajonoj kaj ilia papero ankaux kusxas sur la tablo.

Kiu estas en la cxambro? Kiuj estas en la cxambro? La sinjoro, kiu legas, estas mia amiko. La sinjoro, al kiu vi skribas, estas tajloro.

Kio kusxas sur la tablo?

LESSON 5.

The use of final "n".

In order to understand the meaning of a sentence it is necessary to be able to recognise clearly and unmistakably what it is that is spoken about, that is, what the "subject of the sentence" is. In English this is often to be recognised only by its position in the sentence. For instance, the three words--visited, John, George, can be arranged to mean two entirely, different things, either "John visited George," or "George visited John." [Footnote: In teaching Esperanto to children it is well to make sure before going further that they thoroughly understand, what the subject is. The subject is that which we think or speak about. The word which stands for it is the subject of the sentence. The children may be required to underline the subject of each sentence in a suitable piece of prose or verse.] In Esperanto the sense does not depend on the arrangement-- "Johano vizitis Georgon" and "Georgon vizitis Johano" mean exactly the same thing, that John visited George, the "n" at the end of "Georgon" showing that "Georgon" is not the subject. There is no want of clearness about the following (Esperanto) sentences, absurd as they are in English:--

La patron mordis la hundo.

The father bit the dog.

La infanon gratis la kato.

The child scratched the cat.

La birdojn pafis Johano.

The birds shot John.

La musojn kaptis la knabo.

The mice caught the boy.

La kokidon mangxis la onklo.

The chicken ate the uncle.

La bildon pentris la pentristo.

The picture painted the painter.

La fisxojn vendis la fisxisto.

The fish sold the fisherman.

In these sentences the subjects are at once seen to be "hundo, kato, Johano, knabo, onklo, pentristo, fisxisto", for the final "n" in "patron, infanon, birdojn, musojn, kokidon, bildon, fisxojn", distinguishes these words from the subject.

This use of "n" renders clear sentences that are not clear in English.

"John loves Mary more than George" may mean "more than John loves George" or "more than George loves Mary." In Esperanto it is quite clear. "Johano amas Marion, pli ol Georgo" means "more than George loves Mary," because "Georgo" is the subject of the second (elliptical) sentence, but "Johano amas Marion, pli ol Georgon" means "more than John loves George," because the final "n" in Georgon shows this to be not the subject.

There are cases, however, in which it is not necessary to add "n", the noun or p.r.o.noun being distinguished from the subject in another way.

Examples are found in the first exercise:--"Sur la tero" kusxas sxtono, "On the ground" lies a stone. "Antaux la pordo" staras arbo, "Before the door" stands a tree. Notwithstanding their position, "ground" and "door"

are seen to be not the subject, because before them are the words "on,"

"before," which connect them with the rest of the sentence--it is "on the ground," "before the door." So with other sentences.

The words "on", "before", and others given [in Lesson 26] are called PREPOSITIONS ("pre" = before). The noun or p.r.o.noun which follows them can never be the subject of the sentence.

Remember, then, that

"N" is added to every noun and p.r.o.noun, "other than the subject", unless it has a preposition before it. [Footnote: (i.). The explanation usually given for the use of final "n" is, that "n" is added to nouns and p.r.o.nouns (a) in the Accusative Case (the direct object), (b) when the preposition is omitted. The explanation given above seems to me, however, to be much simpler. (ii.). Another use of final "n" is given later [Lesson 12, Lesson 26] ]

When the noun takes "n", any adjective which belongs to it must also take "n", as, "Li donas al mi belan rugxan floron", He gives me a beautiful red flower. "Li donas al mi belajn rugxajn florojn", He gives me beautiful red flowers.

VOCABULARY.

letero : letter. mateno : morning.

litero : letter of alphabet. multaj : many.

festo : festival, holiday. obstina : obstinate.

tago : day. gxoja : joyful, joyous.

nokto : night. hela : bright, clear.

amas : loves. pala : pale.

vidas : sees. deziras : desires, wishes.

konas : knows. eraras : errs, is wrong.

havas : has, possesses. vokas : calls.

luno : moon. hejtas : heats.

stelo : star. hodiaux : to:day.

vintro : winter. malpli : less.

forno : stove. kiam : when.

edzino : wife. kia : what (kind).

Mi vidas leonon (leonojn). Mi legas libron (librojn). Mi amas la patron.

Mi konas Johanon. La patro ne legas libron, sed li skribas leteron. Mi ne amas obstinajn h.o.m.ojn. Mi deziras al vi bonan tagon, sinjoro. Bonan matenon! Gxojan feston (mi deziras al vi). Kia gxoja festo (estas hodiaux)! En la tago ni vidas la helan sunon, kaj en la nokto ni vidas la palan lunon kaj la belajn stelojn. Ni havas pli fresxan panon, ol vi.

Ne, vi eraras, sinjoro, via pano estas malpli fresxa, ol mia. Ni vokas la knabon, kaj li venos. En la vintro oni hejtas la fornojn. Kiam oni estas ricxa, oni havas multajn amikojn. Li amas min, sed mi lin ne amas.

Sinjoro P. kaj lia edzino tre amas miajn infanojn; mi ankaux tre amas iliajn (infanojn). Mi ne konas la sinjoron, kiu legas.

LESSON 6.

We have seen already (Lesson 1) that the words which end in "-as"

express the idea of "doing" (action) or of "being" (state), and that they a.s.sert that this action or state is going on, or is a custom, at the present time, as "Mi vidas", I see; "Sxi estas", She is; "Ili suferas", They suffer, they are suffering.

To say that the action or state took place at some "past" time, "-is" is used, as "Mi vidis", I saw; "Sxi estis", She was; "Ili suferis", They suffered, they were suffering.

To say that the action or state will take place at some time to come, in the future, "-os" is used, as, "Mi vidos", I shall see; "Sxi estos", She will be; "Ili suferos", They will suffer, they will be suffering.

(Words which a.s.sert something, or which express the idea of doing or of being, are called VERBS).

(The root only of the verbs will now be given in the Vocabulary without the termination).

VOCABULARY.

historio : history. dorm- : sleep.

kuzo : cousin. vek- : wake.

plezuro : pleasure. sercx- : seek.

horlogxo : clock. fin- : end.

laboro : work. tim- : fear.

popolo : a people. ating- : reach to.

virino : woman. surda : deaf.

agxo : age. muta : dumb.