Esperanto grammar

This article deals with the grammatical, phonetic and lexical basics of Esperanto.

• 2.1 Parts of Speech
• 2.2 Verbs and Tenses

• 3.1 The Tabellwörter

• 6.1 Language Example

Pronunciation

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The Esperanto alphabet consists of 28 letters. Each letter corresponds to a speech sound ( phoneme ). The sounds are essentially the German, while the special characters have the following correspondences:

The following table shows the entire alphabet with " Ideal pronunciation" as IPA characters.

Vowel length

The vowel length causes no meaning distinction: You can freely vowels short, medium or long express. Nevertheless, there are certain tendencies to speak sooner or later depending on the situation the vowels. So usually a vowel in a stressed syllable is pronounced long, if not longer follows him as a consonant, eg simila [ si'mi ː la ], but rezisti [ re'zisti ].

Word stress

Esperanto has five vowel phonemes: a, e, i, o, u Each of these vowels forms a separate syllable. The semi-vowel ŭ sounds like the short vowel u, but is not a separate syllable.

In polysyllabic words, the penultimate syllable is always stressed. In the elision (see below ) is one with the ending- o; So it is emphasized the last visible syllable.

Examples ( the stressed vowel is provided here to illustrate with an otherwise written accent):

• LUMO ( = Light ) - emphasis on the u
• Abiotic ( = fir) - emphasis on the i
• Regulo ( = control ) - emphasis on the u
• ánkaŭ ( = also ) - emphasis on the first a
• Nenia (= no, no ) - emphasis on the i
• Radio ( = radio; beam ) - emphasis on the i
• Emu '(= emu ) - emphasis on the u

Grammar

Parts of Speech

In Esperanto, the words can be divided into two groups: on the one hand, ending words ( finaĵvortoj ) that have a suffix that defines the part of speech / word function in more detail; the other hand, particles ( vortetoj ).

The particles are a limited set of words that can be classified according to their function in prepositions, pronouns, noun- particles, adjectival particles, numerals, conjunctions, Subjunktionen, compared particles, adverbial particles and exclamations.

The ending words can be divided into verbs, O- words ( nouns), A- words ( adjectives ) and E - words ( [ derived ] adverbs ). Verbs have one of the verb endings (i, as, is, os, us, and u ). O- words always have the extension o, O words always end on a, E - words always end on e These three types of words are often referred to as " nouns ", " adjectives " and " adverbs derived "; However, this designation is deceptive asymmetry before, which is not present in Esperanto: you forces you to divide the adverbs into two groups ( ending in e " derived " adjectives and adverbial particles ), but this does not with adjectives and nouns, although there are also substantive and adjectival particles (eg iu, CIO).

If the noun ending-o and no further grammatical suffixes can be the -o elided ( omitted). The elision is always made ​​visible by an apostrophe.

There is no indefinite article - and a certain that is not bent (Tie estas telefono There is a phone. . ): La. Although the rules for use of the definite article where the German language are similar, there are some exceptions: for example, in Esperanto is in contrast to the Germans before abbreviations mostly set no definite article (NATO sendis soldatojn - NATO sent troops. . )

The plural ending is -j. You will be attached to O- words ( nouns), A- words ( adjectives ) and some substantive and adjectival particles.

Examples:

• La granda domo - the big house
• La grandaj domoj - the big houses

However, there are particles that do not end despite their plural meaning to j: ni ( we ) AMBAU (both).

Esperanto has only two cases: the nominative and the accusative. The other cases of the German ( genitive and dative ) are Präpositionalgruppen translated ( with de and al ). The accusative is derived from the nominative by the suffix -n. Meeting plural suffix and accusative suffix together, the plural suffix is appended first, then the accusative suffix. Unlike some agglutinative languages ​​like Turkish Pluralsuffixe are absolutely necessary if the amount of the item is equal to 1, as well Akkusativsuffixe on all elements (nouns, adjectives, pronouns ) of the object.

Examples:

• Mi vidas la grandan Domon. - I see the big house.
• Mi vidas la grandajn domojn. - I see the big houses.
• Bonan Tagon! - Good day!

Verbs and Tenses

The verb has only one form in all conjugated tenses, regardless of person and number.

The ending of the present tense (present) is -as:

The ending of the preterite ( past) is -is:

• Mi = skribis I wrote

• Mi skribos = I will write

• Mi = skribus I wrote / was writing

The ending of the imperative is -u:

• Skribu! = Write!

There is an active and a passive participle in each time step; the vowel is the same as the staff forms. The participles can be used as adjectives and noun ( the name of a person), sometimes become of them also more complex verb forms (see below ) is formed.

The active forms with non- idiomatic translation are

• Skribinta having written =
• Skribanta = write
• Skribonta = write becoming

The passive forms are

• Skribita = written (past, completed)
• Skribata becoming = written ( presence, in the course )
• Skribota = to be written ( future)

Examples of compound periods in Active:

• Mi estas skribanta. = I'm writing. ( colloquially "I 'm writing. " )
• Mi estas skribinta. = I have written.
• Wed estis skribanta. = I just wrote. ( colloquially "I was writing. " )
• Wed estis skribinta. = I had written.
• Wed estos skribinta. = I will have written.

Examples in the passive:

• La letero estas skribata. = The letter is ( just ) written.
• La letero estas skribita. = The letter has been (done) written.
• La letero estas skribota. = The letter will be written.

Another simple tenses are derived Occasionally the participles, denotes the Wennergren as' abridged compound verbs ". Forms inside them are often including:

• Wed venintus, se mi sciintus tion. = Mi Estus veninta, se mi Estus sciinta tion. = I would have come if I had known that.
• Bezonatas Novaj fortoj. = Estas bezonataj Novaj fortoj. = There are ( constantly ) used new powers.

The word formation

Esperanto has a number of semantic prefixes and suffixes, with which you can compose new words. A small selection is to be mentioned here briefly:

Times ( expressed to the contrary )

• Bona - good; malbona - bad
• Granda - great; malgranda - small

Et ( reduction)

• Rivereto - river, stream ( rivero - River )

- ec (magnification, amplification)

• Riverego - current ( rivero - River )

- ej - ( place )

• Laborejo - workplace ( laboro - work)

- uj- ( container vessel)

• Riverujo - riverbed

You can also combine several prefixes and suffixes to each other, the order of affixes is observed.

• Laborejeto - small workplace, " Arbeitszimmerchen "

This semantic suffixes can also be regarded as a word stems (as opposed to grammatical ) to which, in turn, can compete Ableitungssuffixe, eg ejeto' - small town. The problem is that in the direct combination of pre-and suffixes. For example, it is not clear whether Malega to mean small, or completely opposite. Such words must be learned as a separate vocabulary.

The order of evaluation of affixes is not always determine without context. That, for example, the word times | san | ul | ej | o ( = hospital) in the order ((( times (san ) ) ul ) ej ) ​​o is evaluated, and not, for example (times ((( san ) ul ) ej ) ​​) o is not apparent at first glance.

Using the word tribe phone and Wortklassensuffixe can form the following words:

• Telefoni - phone
• Telefono - Telephone
• Telefona - phone ( adjective) ( = telephone telefona peto Please )
• Phones - by phone ( adverb ) ( = order by phone, phones mendi )

With the help of semantic word formation syllables can form more words:

• Telefonado - telephoning
• Telefonejo - telephone boxes
• Telefoneto - little phone
• Maltelefoni - the opposite of " Calls"

Note to maltelefoni: Even though it is as in Esperanto difficult to specify a meaning for this word in German, Esperanto, any word that is derived grammatically correct, are used.

With the help of participles, further developments result word:

• La telefonanto - of / Telefonierende
• La telefoninto - person who has the phone
• La altelefonito - of / callee

The above-described word formation is in contrast to natural language largely periodically. This results in a considerable simplification of vocabulary learning.

The Tabellwörter

The Tabellwörter ( Zamenhofsche table) are forty-five words of different word types (among the interrogative pronouns / adverbs and demonstrative pronouns / adverbs ) that systematically from the five prefixes ti -, ki-, Cl -, neni and i and the nine suffixes -o,- u,- a,- el ,-e, -am, - om, - al and it is composed, and therefore can be well represented in tabular form.

The indicative words are neutral or distant meaning ( "those "); by pre- or suffix ci can explicitly ( factual, spatial, temporal etc. ) close be expressed tio - " the " (neutral) or "that "; tio tio CI or CI - " this". tial - " why " (neutral) or " for that reason "; tial CI or CI tial - " for this reason ".

In natural languages ​​such as French ( combien, comment; quelqu'un, quelque part, quelque - fois ) and German ( when else; ? What; ? Who the? ), There are also approaches an at least apparent systematics, but which is not continuous, as the table shows an example of the German language.

Vocabulary

The vocabulary of Esperanto comes to the vast majority European, especially the Romance languages ​​, also German and English, to a lesser extent, Slavic languages ​​, Greek and other languages ​​. Often go Esperanto words back to related word variations of several languages. In a number of cases they represent a compromise between forms will present you

Examples:

• French: dimanĉo, CE, frapi, ĉevalo ... (Sunday, in, knock, horse)
• Italian: Cielo, fari, ( make skies, voice ) VOCO ...
• Of several Romance languages ​​: facila, fero, verda, vino, libro, Koloro ... (easy, iron, green, wine, book, color)

• From Germanic languages ​​: German: Baldau, bedaŭri, hundo, just, well ... ( soon, sorry dog, only now [now ] )
• English: birdo, spite ... ( bird, in spite of )
• Of several Germanic languages ​​: PGUP, FISO, fremda, hasti, somero, vintro ... ( Image, fish, foreign, bustling, summer, winter)

• From Slavic languages ​​: Polish: ĉu, Krado, pilko, Mosto ... ( interrogative particle, grid ( stainless ), Ball, Your Highness )
• Russian: barakti, Serpo, vosto ... ( wrestle, sickle tail)
• Of several Slavic languages ​​: Bulko, klopodi, krom, prava ... ( bread / rolls, endeavor, except legal wealthy )

• From other Indo-European languages: Greek: kaj ... ( and )
• Lithuanian: tuj ... (immediately)
• More: you, ju ... (two, one )

• Of Finno - Ugric languages Finnish: lirli, Sauno ( rippling, Sauna )
• Hungarian: Cako, Cardo, ĉardaŝo ... ( shako, csárda, Czardas )

There are also from other languages ​​words that have come across the European languages ​​into Esperanto as KAFO, coffee, from the Arabic.

In the more than a hundred years of its existence, Esperanto has similarly developed as a naturally formed language - New words that are used in everyday language, in magazines or in the literature, see after some time input in dictionaries. Partial new words appear first as imprints of lexicographers in dictionaries and gain from there spread. Some of these words will be included in the official vocabulary of the Academy of Esperanto is now among the generally binding basics of the language. The Academy also observed other aspects of language development and are from time to time make recommendations, eg to country names. Foreign words used in Esperanto in accordance with Rule 15 of the Fundamento de Esperanto.

Number words

Cardinal number from 1 to 10:

From the figures are assembled to 99 as follows:

100 (cent ) and 1000 (mil) are analogous to dek (10 ) mounted so:

And

Larger number words ( miliono, ...) and Nulo (zero ) are considered as nouns and must be connected to the enumerated by the prepositions de or da: you jaroj - two years since you milionoj jaroj - two million years. , Nulo ' occurs occasionally as a quasi- original number word, nul ' on.

At zero, the use is staggering.

Ordinal numbers are formed with the ending -a ( adjective suffix) and bent as opposed to cardinal numbers as adjectives

• La Kvara domo - the fourth house.
• Mi vidas tri domojn, sed ne la Kvaran. - I see three houses, but not the fourth.

Terminology

The Esperanto Fachvereine maintain the specialized dictionaries. There are (as of April 2013) 63 " official" trade unions, which have the status of collective members of the UEA ( World Esperanto Association ). Almost all of these clubs maintain dictionaries in relevant subject (eg, information technology, physics, biology, medicine, railways, etc.). These dictionaries are mostly available on the internet.

The main technical dictionaries are updated regularly.

In addition, specialized vocabulary tends accordance with the principles of the language, for clarity. For example, say the moment in terms of " time instant " momento. One speaks of physical properties such as the torque, the moment of inertia or the angular momentum is used momanto.

Language example

Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1: