Page:Ido Exhaustive Textbook Talmey 1919.pdf/21

SUMMARY OF THE IDO GRAMMAR

To understand any Ido text without previous study of the language all that is needed is a perusal of the summary, given below, thich in a little more than two pages contains all essentials of the Ido grammar. One knowing Latin or one Roman language will not even have to resort to an Ido dictionary. Before commencing the actual study of the language he is thus enabled to estimate its merits by reading a few Ido texts. For this reason the summary of the Ido grammar and a few such texts have been put at the beginning of this text book and not at its end, where they would belong more properly. Those who know no other language besides English will do better to read first parts one to three, then the summary, and finally the Ido texts.

Pronunciation.—The vowels of Ido have the continental pronunciation (see "continental" in Standard Dictionary). Of two succeeding vowels, as au, eu, ia, io, each one is to be pronounced. C is pronounced like ts in wits and j like the French j. The accent rests on the last syllable but one, and in words ending in -ar, -ir, -or on the last syllable. I and u preceding immediately the end vowel of a word that contains more than two vowels cannot have the accent. The latter must then be put on the vowel which precedes the i or the u.

1. The definite article is la for singular and plural, and le for the plural when no other word indicates the latter. The article lo before an adjective denotes the neuter of it: lo bela, the beautiful. A noun alone includes the indefinite article.

2. Every word of two or more syllables that ends in -o is a noun; in -a an adjective; in -e an adverb or preposition; in -u a pronoun; in -i the plural of a noun or pronoun; in -on, -an, -un, -in the accusative form of a noun, adjective, pronoun, or of a plural, respectively; in -ar, -ir, or the infinitive of the present, past, or future, respectively; in -as, -is, -os a verb in the present, pas, or future, respectively; in -ez, -us a verb in the imperative or conditional, respectively. The active participle as adjective ends in -anta, -inta, -onta and the passive participle; in -ata, -ita, -ota in the present, past, and future, respectively. As noun or adverb the participle ends in -o or -e, respectively.

3. The comparative of the adjective and adverb is formed by plu, more, and min, less; the superlative by maxim, most, and minim, least.

4. There is no distinction of number and person with verbs.

5. The passive voice is formed with the passive participle and the verb esar, to be; the compound tenses are formed with esar and the participle of the past. The passive voice may also be formed with the suffix -es, and the compound tenses with the suffix -ab. These suffixes are inserted between the verbal root and the ending. Me esas amata or me amesas, I am loved. Me esos aminta or me amabos, I shall have loved.

6. The personal pronouns are: me, I; tu, you, thou; il, he; el, she; ol, it, lu, he, she, it; lo, it (referring to a fact); ni, we; vi, you (several persons); vu, you (one person); li, they; ili, they (masculine); eli, they (feminine); oli, they (neuter); on, one, we, they (indefinite); su, one's self (reflexive). The possessive pro- 9