Step by Step in Esperanto

In English the use of affixes is irregular. We say heroine, but not fatherine, priestine; unkind, but not unrich, ungood; kindness, but not honestness. In Esperanto, however, every affix may be joined to any root with which it makes sense. In this way, from every Esperanto root you can make a number of words without having to learn them.

La sufikso «-in»

32. The suffix ‑IN shows the feminine. (Cp. hero, heroine, Joseph, Josephine). Thus, from bovo, ox, we get bovino, cow. Viro, man, virino, woman. Amiko, friend, amikino, lady friend. Skolto, scout; skoltino, girl guide. Edzo, husband (When he weds, he’s an edz!); edzino, wife. Patrino, mother; kanariino, hen canary; poetino, poetess.

33. (a) Say the feminine of Emilo, Ernesto, Georgo, Henriko, Karolo (Charles), Klemento, Kristo, Roberto, Tomaso, Viktoro, Vilhelmo (William).

Modelo:La knabo[10] kaj la knabino, the boy and the girl. Similarly: La filo (patro, kato, koko, kamelo, leopardo, krokodilo, aligatoro, hipopotamo) …

(b) Use ino after the following roots, and translate: arane, bird, hund, idiot, kamarad, kok, paser, tigr, vultur.

(d) Conductress, cow-elephant, hen-eagle, heroine, queen-bee, lioness.

La prefikso «vir-»

34. This shows the male sex. When talking about animals, it is generally not necessary to spccify this: e.g., kato=cat (in general). But vir- can be used when required. Virkato, Tom cat; katino, she-cat. Virbovo, bull; virpasero, cock-sparrow.

Virhundo, viraglo. Bull-elephant, drone-bee, cock-canary.

Kiu, kio

35. Do not mix these words up. KIO li estas? (Li estas knabo) (16). KIU li estas? (Li estas Tom). Kio (Kiu) ŝi estas? (Ŝi estas ….) Mnemonic: Kio, wOt! kiu, (ki-who!).

Phrases

36. DIRU AL MI, Tell me. MI PETAS, Please. DANKON, Thank you.

“Diru al mi, mi petas, kiu estas la knabino tie?” “Ŝi? ŝi estas Flossie Binks.” “Dankon”

La sono ( The Sound ) «oj»

37. The sound OJ=oy in toy, boy; oi in boil. OJ is a “diphthong” (diftongo) or vowel-glide, but it is counted as one syllable. Thus: boj-ko-to (boycott) is three syllables.

The Plural Ending «-oj»

38. English usually adds s to show the plural (la pluralo) (= more than one). But it has many forms.

We speak of a box, and the plural is boxes,
But the plural of ox should be oxen, not oxes.
You may find a lone mouse, or a whole nest of mice,
But the plural of house is houses, not hice.
If the plural of man is always called men,
Why shouldn’t the plural of pan be called pen?
When I speak of a foot, and you show me two feet,
And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
We speak of a brother, and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we NEVER say methren!

39. Esperanto, on the other hand, is regular, and always forms the plural by adding J. All nouns in the plural end with OJ[11].

Infano, child;infanoj, children.[12]

Bovo, ox;bovoj, oxen.

Amikoj, friends.

Tulipoj estas floroj, tulips are flowers.

Matematiko!

one rose unu rozo

one rose unu rozo

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two roses du rozoj

40. (a) Make sentences from the words in 14 after this model: Pomoj, bananoj, figoj … kaj piroj, estas fruktoj. … bestoj. … floroj. … instrumentoj.

(b) Unu lampo kaj unu lampo estas du lampoj. Unu pomo kaj unu piro estas du … Unu knabo kaj du knabinoj estas tri infanoj.