VERBS (continued).
In all the examples already given the Subject of the Sentence is the
"doer" of the action, but often it is "the one to whom the action is
done" who occupies our thoughts, and of whom we wish to speak. This one
then becomes the subject, and the form of the Verb is changed. Instead
of saying "The police are searching for the thief," "Someone has broken
the window," "Someone is going to finish the work to-morrow," we say
"The thief is being sought for by the police," "The window has been
broken," "The work is going to be finished to-morrow."
(Note the convenience of this form when we do not know or do not wish to
mention the doer).
In Esperanto the terminations "-ata", "being", denoting "incompleteness"
or "present" time, "-ita", "having been", denoting "completeness"
or "past" time, and "-ota", "about to be" (going to be), denoting
"action not yet begun", or "future" time, are added to the root of the
verb, as "ami", to love, "amata", being loved, "amita", having been
loved, "amota", going to be loved. "La sxtelisto estas sercxata de la
policanoj" [Footnote: "De" is used after these participles to denote the
"doer" of the action.], The thief is being searched for by the police.
"La fenestro estas rompita", The window has been broken. "La laboro
estas finota morgaux", The work is going to be finished to-morrow.
It will be seen that these words ending in "-ata", "-ita", "-ota"
describe the subject or show the "condition" or "state" in which
the subject is, therefore they are adjectival; the thief is a
"searched-for" thief, the window was a "broken" window, the work
is a "going-to-be-finished" work (compare The work will be "ready"
to-morrow). They are called PARTICIPLES, and being adjectival, take
"j" when the noun to which they belong is plural.
Mi estas tenata ............. I am (being) held.
Li estis tenata ............. He was (being) held.
Ni estos tenataj ............ We shall be (being) held.
Vi estus tenataj ............ You would be (being) held.
Ke ili estu tenataj ......... That they may be (being) held.
Estu tenata ................. Be (being) held.
Esti tenata ................. To be (being) held.
Mi estas vidita ............. I am (in the state of) having
been seen, or, I have been
seen.
Li estis vidita ............. He was (in the state of) having
been seen, or, he had been
seen.
Ni estos viditaj ............ We shall be (in the state of)
having been seen, or, we
shall have been seen.
Vi estus viditaj ............ You would be (in the state of)
having been seen, or, you
would have been seen.
(Ke) ili estu viditaj ....... (That) they may be (in the
state of) having been seen,
or, that they may have been
seen.
Esti vidita ................. To be (in the state of) having
been seen, or, to have been
seen.
Mi estas lauxdota .......... I am about (going) to be praised.
Sxi estis lauxdota .......... She was about (going) to be
praised.
Ni estos lauxdotaj .......... We shall be about (going) to
be praised.
Vi estus lauxdotaj .......... You would be about (going)
to be praised.
(Ke) ili estu lauxdotaj ..... (That) they should be about
(going) to be praised.
Esti lauxdota ............... To be about (going) to be
praised.