Step by Step in Esperanto

EXERCISES are intended to be worked. No key is given, for this would rule them out as homework. Most exercises may be worked orally in the class. But some written work is essential. Exercises in italics are to be translated into Esperanto. Easy Esperanto texts need not be translated into English.

At regular intervals (say every 15 pages) give a recapitulation exercise. Paragraphs 12, 43c, 51, show the idea.

DICTIONARIES. The student should have an Esperanto- English dictionary. The little "Key" will suffice at first. Larger dictionaries are available for the advanced student.

A SUMMARY OF THE GRAMMAR is given at the end of the book for reference.

STEP BY STEP IN

ESPERANTO

PRONUNCIATION

Every letter in Esperanto has one sound only, always the same. Every letter must be sounded: there are no silent letters. Most letters sound as in English. Those that do not we shall learn as we meet them.

VOWELS^#

In English each of the letters a, e, i, o, t/, represents several sounds, but in Esperanto each represents one sound only, approximately as follows:

A always sounds like a in ah> father, calm.

E „ „ „ e „ lend, there.

I „ „ ,, i ,, machine, ee in see.

O „ „ „ o „ molest, glory.

U „ „ „ u „ rude, oo in too.

Do NOT pronounce a as in caf, cake_t or ca//; e oĵ

in her or here\ i as in fine or fir; o as in to or got; or u as in tub_y tube_} or tar/z.

These fivc letters are called " vowels All others are called ^u consonants We may say, roughly:

Vowels: A, E, I, O, U,

Sound in Pa, let me go too.

Or in Bar, bear, bier, bore, boor.

Ah ! send me more soon !

Point to the vowels and say them aloud several times; forivard, backzuard, and in varied order; till you knozv them icithout hesitation.

ACCENT

In English we accent (or stress) sometimes the last syllable (cockatoo), sometimes the last but one (tomato), sometimes a syllable two or more from the end (syllable, dromedary_y literature). In Esperanto every vowel counts as one syllable, and every word is accented on the last syllable but one. Thus: ka-ka-tu-o, to-ma-to, si-la.-bo_y dro-me-da-ro, li-te-ra-tM-ro. The words historio (history) and harmonio ([harmony) have therefore four syllables each, and you must accent the i in io.

J. How many syllables are there in balau, heroo, Isaako, lilio, opinio, tiea, kie, tieulo ? Underline the accented vowel_f and read the words aloud.

Never mind what they mean.

THE WORDS "A, AN"

These words are not translated. Floro =flower, or, a flozver. Afero=affair, or, an affair. Ovo=(an) egg.

PRONUNCIATION EXERCISE

Read the following zvords ivith correct pronunciation and accent, and translate them into English. You can safely guess the meanings of most uoords in the next page or two (see p. 7).

Sound every "r" clearly. Pronounce " s " as in kiss, and " z " as in buzz.

Watch your vowels. Thus, pronounce luno (moon) loo-no, not lew-no; pronounce birdo (a bird) beer-do, not ber-do.

Be especially careful with the accent in words ending zcith -io.

mato tablo letero familio telefono vazo lampo botelo plezuro telegramo suno nesto butero ombrelo individuo glaso monto persono omnibuso entuziasmo

aero idealo teatro idioto boato poemo heroo

THE LETTER K

In Esperanto the sound k is always written k, and not, as in English, either k (kill), c (cat)_y ch (_y or cqu (iacquer) !

sako korko muziko sekreto krokodilo fakto kremo kandelo konflikto konduktoro

THE NOUN-ENDING O

All these words end with o. They are all " nouns " (names of things).