Ch 21 · Lesson 9Esperanto · Chapter 21 · Lesson 9 · Grammar primer
Fi- and boji: when a noise becomes a word
gives o, a scoundrel, and fi- condemns where -aĉ- sneers. Any noise takes an ending: boj gives , to bark, and gives , homesickness.
The short version
Any noise plus -i is a verb
miaŭis .
Why?Hide
Esperanto turns its sound effects into verbs: a dog , a cat miaŭas, a bee . Take the noise, add -i, and you have a verb that conjugates like any other: , , . It is the same machine that builds every other verb, pointed at the farmyard.
Fi- condemns; -aĉ- finds it shoddy
o o.
Why?Hide
The prefix fi- comes from the interjection , ugh, and it judges behaviour: a o is a scoundrel, a fidomo a house of ill repute. The suffix -aĉ- judges quality: a o is a hovel, a o a mangy dog. They overlap at the edges, but the tendency is clear.
Fi, and the fi- prefix
is one syllable of disgust: ! is shame on you! With an ending it becomes a word, and as a prefix it condemns:
| Word | English |
|---|---|
| base, contemptible |
| a scoundrel |
| a vile act |
The suffix -- also disapproves, but of quality, not morals. Put both on one root and you get two different complaints:
| Root | fi-: behaves badly | -aĉ-: shoddy |
|---|---|---|
| | |
| fidomo, a house of ill repute | |
The two overlap at the edges, and speakers do not always keep them apart. The tendency is what matters: - judges, -- sneers. The interjection and the prefix - have separate pages here.
Every noise takes an ending
The four endings work on any root, and a root that started life as a noise is no exception. So interjections grow families:
| Noise | With an ending | English |
|---|---|---|
| veo, vei | a lament; to lament |
| | homesickness (home-woe) |
| | base, contemptible |
is the best argument for learning the interjections: no word list prepares you for it, and once you know you cannot misread it.
.- He felt homesick.
Sound words become verbs
Esperanto writes noises much as English does: bum for a thud, plaŭd for a splash, boj for a dog. Add -i and the noise is a verb; add -o and it is the sound itself:
| Noise | Verb | Noun | English |
|---|---|---|---|
boj | | | to bark; a bark |
miaŭ | miaŭi | miaŭo | to miaow; a miaow |
plaŭd | plaŭdi | plaŭdo | to splash; a splash |
tiktak | tiktaki | - | to tick |
zum | | - | to buzz |
Then it conjugates like any verb:
.- The dog barked all night.miaŭas ?- Who is miaowing behind the door?
to bark
to ring (a bell)
to whistle
Many sound verbs are ordinary roots with no written noise behind them: (ring, of a bell), (whistle), (groan). When you do not know an s own verb, is the general one: the cry of any animal.
.- The donkey brayed.
The spelling of animal noises varies more than the rest of the language; a cockerel, for one, is written several ways. The interjections in the first table are the settled core.
Mistakes English speakers make
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
! | ! | |
! ! | Aj! ! | aj |
miaŭ. | miaŭas. | a noise needs -as to be a verb |
¡! | ! | no opening exclamation mark |
Going further: Outside the sentence and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
Practice
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