Lesson 18- Dek-e-okesma Leciono Indefinite Pronouns
The indefinite pronouns ULA, ULU, and ULO (some specific but unnamed object or person) are particularly significant because of their frequent use.
Ula is an adjective: ula libro - some book (a specific book, though I either don't know or won't tell which).
Ulu is a pronoun referring to a person (=someone): ulu dicis. - someone (a certain person) said.
Ulo is a pronoun referring to a thing (=something): ulo mankas - something is wanting.
Irga, irgu, irgo (used in the same way as ula, ulu, ulo) = any whatever: Irgo konvenos. - Anything whatever will do.
Kelka, kelko = some (an indeterminate number or quantity): kelka homi - some men
Give me some (quantity of it). - Donez ad me kelko.
Note the difference between "kelka" and "poka";
"kelka" means some, a certain amount, a few (opposed to "nula", none);
"poka" means some, but little, few (opposed to "multa", much). Omna, omnu, omno - all/every, Plural, omni - alclass="underline" omna homi - all men They all said. - Omni dicis. Everyone sang. - Omnu kantis. Everything is here. - Omno esas hike. Altra, altru, altro - other: altra foyo - another time. Someone else will speak. - Altru parolos. Another thing will show that...- Altro montros ke ..., Nula, nulu, nulo - none, nobody, nothing (the opposite of ulu, etc.).
Singla, single - each: singla karti - single cards.
Li venis single. - They came singly.
dek centimi po singla - ten pennies apiece.
The difference between "omna" and "singla" is slight, but clear; OMNA means every (collectively), while SINGLA means each (distributively):
Everyone spoke, each in his own language.
Omnu parolis, singlu en sua linguo.
INTER is a preposition, but is often used as a prefix:
Sro Max parolas inter Sro Mix e Sro Mox. Do li inter-parolas.
Mr. Max talks with (between, among) Mr. Mix and Mr. Mox. So, they are inter-talking (exchanging communication).
Observe that "each other" can be translated as "una la altra" (in the plural "uni la altri") when the prefix INTER- is unsuitable:
Love one another. - Amez uni la altri. - Amez kom uni la altri.
They talked together (with each other) long. - Li interparolis longe.
Li donis donaci uni a l'altri. - Li donis donaci kom uni a l'altri.
They gave each other gifts (gave gifts each to the others).
Note that "unu la altra" is not a substantive or noun phrase but is really an adverbial phrase, and is used to show the sense of "as being" or "like" or "having the quality of...".
Amez "uni" - Love "the ones", does not mean that you should love everyone,, but that everyone should love (some) others. The phrase therefore means that "love" should be "in the manner of" (Ido "kom") one having love for the others.
Note also that when your "one" or "ones" ("unu" or "uni") refers to not just "any", but some "special" one or ones, you can use the phrase "la una la altra/i" or "la uni la altra/i".
Affixes
-aj- (with a verbal root, marks the object of the action expressed by the verb (transitive or mixed)): manjajo - food (what is eaten) drinkajo - drink (what is drunk) chanjajo - thing changed
With an intransitive verb it marks the subject of the action:
rezultajo - result (what results) restajo - rest (what remains)
With a non-verbal root, it signifies a thing made of a certain matter,
or possessing a certain quality:
lanajo - woollen article belajo - beauty/ beautiful thing molajo - soft part
By extension it expresses "act of...":
amikajo - friendly act infantajo - childish prank.
-ur- (marks the concrete result of the action expressed by the verb): pikturo - a painting imituro - an imitation (made) (Compare with imitajo, the thing imitated.) imprimuro - printed work/ letterpress. fotografuro - a photograph (picture)
-ar- (collection of):
homaro - mankind vortaro - vocabulary
"One of a mass" is expressed by -un: greluno - a hailstone.
Where the elements are pieces, rather than individuals, use peco:
sukropeco - lump of sugar.
ex- (ex-, former):
exkonsulo - ex-consul exoficiro - ex-officer
-um- (is an indefinite affix with no fixed meaning. Consult the dictionary for words in which it occurs):
mondumo - The World/ smart society foliumar - to thumb/ turn over the leaves of kolumo - (shirt-) collar nukumo - neck-flap
Konversado
Are you a chess-player? - Ka vu esas shak-ludero?
I used to know the moves. - Olim me savis la stroki.
I have forgotten the names of the men. - Me obliviis la nomi di la peci.
I couldn't even castle correctly. (at chess) - Me ne povus mem roquar korekte.
Would you prefer to go out and enjoy the fresh air? - Ka vu preferus ekirar e juar la fresha aero?
Yes, indeed; the rain is over. - Yes, certe; la pluvo cesis.
Very well; we'll take our umbrellas, in case it begins again. - Bone; ni prenos nia parapluvi, kaze ke olu rikomencus.
If you are cold, we won't stay long. -Se vu sentos vu kom kolda, ni ne restos longatempe.
Letro de Suisia
Geneve, Suisia, la 19ma di mayo
Kara Sanne: Danko pro tua letro.
Me ne povis respondar ante nun, pro ke me esis for-heme dum monato e nur recente retrovenis. Do voluntez exkuzar me.
Yes, me asistos la Ido-konfero en Groningen. Me jus regardis la programo.
La organizeri (organizers) havas nombro de bona idei.
Me previdas ke la koncerto ye lajovdio esos granda afero.
Jim Lipton prizentos sua nova Ido-kansoni (songs).
Ka tu rimemoras la kansoni di Jim en Elsnigk?
Ka tu recevis la koquo-libro quan me sendis de Venezia, e la du karti
postala de Roma? - Yes, me pasis la monato en Italia.
Recente me skribis artiklo por "Progreso" pri ekologio. Ka tu lektis ol? Me recevis plura letri gratulanta (congratulating) me pro ol. Un Idisto en Japonia volas tradukar la artiklo aden la Japona linguo por Japona revuo. Me donis mea permiso, naturale.
Quale tua genitori standas? Tua patro retretas cayare, ka ne? Quon ilu intencas agar? Se me ne eroras, ilu pasos la totajorno sur la golfo- tereno (links).
Mea onklulo Albert esas ankore depresita pos sua operaco. Me ne kredas ke ilu asistos la Ido-konfero.
Me avide vartas rividar tu. Mea maxim kordiala saluti ad omni. Afecionoze tua, Erich XXX
Questioni
Ka Erich esis en Italia dum du monati? -> No, dum un monato.
Ka ilu asistos la Ido-konfero? -> Yes, ilu asistos.
Quo eventos ye jovdio? -> La koncerto.
Qua prizentos kansoni? -> Jim Lipton.
Ka Erich skribis artiklo pri Japonia por "Progreso"? -> No, pri ekologio.
Ka Erich sendis posto-karto de Venezia? -> No, ilu sendis koquo-libro.
Ube esas Roma? -> Roma esas/es en Italia.
Qua retretos ca yaro? -> Patro di Sanne.
Qua esas Albert? -> Onklulo di Erich.
Kad Albert standas bone? -> No, Ilu esas ankore depresita pos sua operaco.
Questioni
Se me esus richa, me ... komprus la kompanio ube me laboras.
Se me povus selektar irga vakanco, me ... selektus vakanco en Grekia.
Se me povus renkontrar ...fantomo, me olun kaptus e vendus por pekunio.
Se me esus en karcero (prison)..., me divenus ucelo ed eskapus.
Me habitus en ...Grekia, se ...me retretus.
Generala Questioni
Qua koloro esas vua okuli? -> Oli esas o bruna o blua o avelanea (hazel).