ESPERANTO.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 134, 29 February 1908, Page 11

ESPERANTO.

(By S. H. Whichello, of the Gregg Shorthand Institute.) Tho. accusative case in Esperanto/ plays a very important part, and it is'through this that no ambiguity can possibly occur either in prose or poetical compositions, no matter in what order the words are placed. This optional disposition of words is obviously of great advantago to the poet or writer who wishes to display elegance of ' diction or ouphonism of expression. Tho accusative is used (1) to show tho direct object (if a transitive verb; and (2) to show motion towards something. Johano vidas la, knabonz—John sees tho boy. Georgo acetis bonan chevalon — George bought a good horse. In'cither of these sentences the order of tho words can bo changed without altering tho meaning, for "La knabon vidas Johano" would mean "John sees tho boy," because Johano, being . the nominative, is clearly tho subject, and knabon, being the accusative, is, clearly the object. But if wo inverted tho words in English the sense would be entirely changed. Thp accusative is also used after activo participles (adjectival or adverbial), for example: Johano estis- rigardanta la knabon, ldam mi lin vidis—John was looking at the boy when I saw him. Johano, vidanto la knabon, donas i al Ii pomon—John seeiug tho boy gives him an apple. The accusative is' also used in exclamations and in expressions in which some verb expressing "wish" or "desire" is understood. Examples: Peston al la. tranchi'n! ; Mi tranchis al mi la.lingron—Plague to the. knife I I havo cut my finger. Bonan tagon, silijop—Good. day,' sir. Saluton al vi, siu-. jorino—Salutation to you, madam.- In reply to a question tho accusativo is also used, bub only if tho verb in the question governs ■ the accusative, as: .Kiom kostas tiu clii krajono? (Ghi kostas) du pencojn— How much does this pencil cost? (It costs) twopence. Kiom estas la kosto do tiu clii krajono (estas) du pencoj. To show motion towards something this is called the accusativo of direction. Please observe, however, that we can also uso a proposition to show the motion, and, i 6 V such in itself shows movement, i its must be in , tho nominative, since all: prepositions govern that case, but if N tho preposition does not in : itself denote.''.'movement,'_then its complement riiust- bo in ■. the accusative. Example: Mi iras Romon (an al Romo)—l'am going to Rome. . Li- kuris-. en ila ghardenon—He ran into . tljo garden. Tho preposition ."on" does not show: movement, tnercforo_ ghardenon is-in tho accusative; but, li kuris en la ghardeno—he ran into ' tho garden; this means he was already in tho garden and was running in it.. Sur la auglan trmion mi havas rajtojn—Oa tho English throne I' havo ' rights. Adverbs also tako ,tho Vacftusativo of direction. Example : Kien : vi iras P-i'Wherev (whither)" aro you going? Ghifalis teren—ln falls"to the ■ ground. • . • .: . - '

- ' : KURIOZA TROMPO._ •Tri sinjoroj,. eleganto vestitaj, ,'vonis '.en.hotelon, _ p'rezbntante sin kiel ' komisaroj Amerikaj do la ekspozicio Ajntverpenaj kaj ekvivis;tio tiel lukse, ke ilia kalkulo en la dauro de, tri.. tagoj; kreskis ghis kelkaj centoj da franko._ En vespero do la tria tago antau la komencigho de la hotola' tamgangho aperis en la hotelo .kvara gasto, kiu leyitiniigliis cho la mastro kiel.kriminala-policisto el l'arizo, sci- ' igante ke li intencas serchi tri dangherajn kri(nuilojn. Dumo li monstris al la' 1 mastro foto-' ,'grafajhojn de tri personoj,' en- kiuj oni- tuj . okkonis ' tri komisorojn Amerikajn. NuuT • la kriminala policisto ' proponis la sek-- ' yantan planon .al la -mastro: kun la ,peto helpi al li en la plenumo do gbi: la mastro '. zorgu; ke nehiu el la tri personoj raalaperu'el <■: la domo. La policisto sidighis al-tablo kaj ghuis l; kun- granda 'apetito ananghojn kaj ■' trinkojn.'Kiam oni alportis la deserton, la poli-'-. cisto sin levis kaj ordonis silenton, sciigantela alestantajn terurigitajn gastojn, ke la tri ' kontrausidantaj sinjoroj estas tri dangheraj;-. krimuloj, kiujn li.devas aresti. 1 La,tri sinjoroj. provis.v forkuri, sed la mas-'- ; tro kune kun sia /'servantaro staris "jam"/' • antau la pordo kontrau ili. Lau la ordono de la policisto alveturis; droshko enkiun sidighis chiuj kvar sinjoroj. Chu la, trompistoj pagis sian ka-lkulori?. demandaD, la policisto la niast'rou.' Ne. Kiom ili shuldas?*' 295 frankojn.' . Bone! \Ni tra-., ' serchos: ilin en la polico kaj pagos viau , kalkulon',per la'trovita mono. Mian kalkulort' vi ,povas .anjtau sendi .tienv-' Kaj nun) vcturi- , gisto, antaiion, al la polico! SecL.Ja. mastro vidis ghis liodjau nek.la'lirimulbjn'uok la kriminalan policiston. A CURIOUS .MISTAKE. V

TRANSLATION. ! Three gentlemen,'.'elegantly dresssed, came ■; toa hotel,''representing themselves asAmeri- ~ can Commissioners for the Antwerp Exhibi- .! tion,. and commenced to livedo luxuriously , that their bill in .threo days, amounted to somo hundreds of francs.; In the evening of ■ the third day beforo tho commencement of t lie liotel meal appeared at the hotel a. fourth', guest; who'was accredited, to the landlord as a dotectivo policeman from Paris,. announcing that he is looking for three dangerous , In the meantime he showed to tho •: landlord photographs, of tho threo: persons, which ho at mice .recognised as tlio_ three American Commissioners.. the policeman proposed tho following plan to the landlord, ! . with the request' for his help in the carrying ' : out; of it./ Tho: landlord .to I take.- ear-o'thafc X none of the threo persons disappear from the " j, house. Tho policeman sat at-tho. tablo' and eiijoyed with /good appetite the . food , and',; ,i' drink./' When they, brought, in the deSsert, " the policeman, roso, and • ordered silence, ■ an-, ~ nouncing to the .terrified guests that the !! three' gentlemen. sitting opposite were , threo .. dangerous criminals whom lie must arrest.. , Thoithree men tried to run away, but tho, j landlord (together with his servants wore, al- .. ready standing before the door opposite them.: As' ordered, by<,the policeman, a-cab had ar- • rived in -which 1 all four gentlemen became ■-. seated. Have these swindlers paid their bill? ... tho policeman asked tho landlord. No.' How muclrdo'tlioy .owo? ' 295 francs. All right! I , will search ijhem at the polico station and will ... pay tho -bill out of the money found. My bill you can also send thero. rAnd now, dn-- ... 'ver, go ahead, to the polico offico. But. tho ; landlord to • this day has seen neither the" cri- .'i niinals nor the policeman. * s

PAK6LUPLIMALLAUTE.-SPEAKLESS ' y ' ■ LOUDLY. . i ; iLa prezidantd'- Vi estis jam.kondamnita v dokdu : fojojn pro stlielo, falsajho kajatenco- 1 ;■ mortiga! ■■■■'• i • La kulpigato: Volu, mi petas, no pardlf tiel lauto, char'mia estonta bopatro cstas en :■ la audaiitaro. . , - -Magistrate: You have already;been couvio - ted.,l2. .times for theft, forgery, iand murder- 'f i bus intent. . ■ ... ■ , Tho prisoner: Be hind enough, please, not to sp6ak so loudly, as my future father-ill' law is in the audionce. ■ 1 :