Esperanto grammar: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 18:38, 2 November 2005

Revision as of 19:39, 2 November 2005

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==Parts of speech and their word endings==

The grammatical [[suffix]]es ''-o'', ''-a'', ''-e'', and ''-i'' indicate that a word is a [[noun]], [[adjective]], derivated[[adverb]], and [[infinitive]] [[verb]], respectively. Many new words can be derived simply by changing these suffixes, just as ''-ly'' derives adverbs from adjectives in English: From ''vidi'' (to see), we get ''vida'' (visual), ''vide'' (visually), and ''vido'' (sight).

The nominal suffix ''-o'' with a nominal root is redundant, but with an adjectival or verbal root it indicates an abstraction: ''parolo'' (an act of speech, one's word) from ''paroli'' (to speak); ''belo'' (beauty) from ''bela'' (beautiful). Likewise, the adjectival suffix ''-a'' is redundant with adjectives, but not with nominal or verbal roots: ''reĝa'' (royal), from ''reĝo'' (a king); ''parola'' (spoken). The various verbal endings mean ''to be'' with an adjectival root: ''beli'' (to be beautiful); and with a nominal root mean ''to act as'' the noun, ''to use'' the noun, ''etc.'', depending on the semantics of the root: ''reĝi'' (to reign). There are relatively few inherently adverbial roots, so most words ending in ''-e'' are derived. Often with a nominal or verbal root, the English equivalent is a [[prepositional phrase]]: ''parole'' (by speech, orally); ''reĝe'' (as a king, royally); ''bele'' (beautifully).