Page:Dr. Esperanto's International Language. Introduction and complete grammar. Por angloj. Warsaw, 1889.pdf/36

 If it be found impraticable to print works with the diacritical signs (ˆ,˘), the letter h may be substituted for the sign (ˆ), and the sign (˘), may be altogether omitted ; but at the beginning of works so printed there should be this note: “NB: ch = ĉ; gh = ĝ; hh = ĥ; jh = ĵ; sh = ŝ.”

When it is necessary to make use of the “internal” sign, care should be taken that it can not be mistaken for a comma. Instead of, may be printed ( ' ) or ( - ), e.g., sign,et,o, sign'et'o, or sign-et-o.



 B) PARTS OF SPEECH

1. There is no indefinite, and only one definite, article, la, for all genders, numbers, and cases.

2. Substantives are formed by adding o to the root. For the plural, the letter j must be added to the singular. There are two cases: the nominative and the objective (accusative). The root with the added o is the nominative, the objective adds an n after the o. Other cases are formed by prepositions; thus, the possessive (genitive) by de, "of"; the dative by al, "to", the instrumental (ablative) by kun, "with", or other preposition as the sense demands. E. g. root patr, "father"; la patr'o, "the father"; patr'o'n, "father" (objective), de la patr'o, "of the father"; al la patr'o, "to the father"; kun la patr'o, "with the father"; la patr'o'j, "the fathers"; la patr'o'j'n, "the fathers" (obj.), por la patr'o'j, "for the fathers".

3. Adjectives are formed by adding a to the root. The numbers and cases are the same as in substantives. The comparative degree is formed by prefixing pli