Page:Dr. Esperanto's International Language. Introduction and complete grammar. Por angloj. Warsaw, 1889.pdf/10

— 10 — the rich amongst modern tongues. This I accomplished by the introduction of numerous prefixes and suffixes, by whose aid the student is enabled to create new words for himself, without the necessity of having previously to learn them, e. g.

1) The prefix mal denotes the direct opposite of any idea. If, for instance, we know the word for „good“, bon'a, we can immediately form that for „bad“, mal'bon'a, and hence the necessity of a special word for „bad“ is obviated. In like manner, alt'a, „high“, „tall“; mal'alt'a, „low“, „short“; estim'i, „to respect“, mal'estim'i, „to despise“, etc. Consequently, if one has learned this single word mal he is relieved of learning a long string of words such as „hard“ (premising that he knows „soft“), „cold“, „old“, „dirty“, „distant“, „darkness“, „shame“, „to hate“, etc., etc.

2) The suffix in marks the feminine gender, and thus if we know the word „brother“, frat'o, we can form „sister“, frat'in'o: so also, „father“, patr'o; „mother“, patr'in'o. By this device words like „grandmother“, „bride“, „girl“, „hen“, „cow“, etc., are done away with.

3) The suffix il indicates an instrument for a given purpose, e. g., tranĉ'i, „to cut“, tranĉ'il'o, „a knife“; so words like „comb“, „axe“, „bell“, etc., are rendered unnecessary.

In the same manner are employed many other affixes,—some fifty in all,—which the reader will find in the vocabulary at end of this tractate.