The words "ia, tia; kial, tial; kiam, cxiam, neniam; kie, kiel, tiel;
io, kio, tio, cxio, nenio; kiu, cxiu, neniu", have already been met
with. They belong to a series whose use will best be seen from the
following examples:--
"ia" denotes kind or quality. "Kia" floro estas la plej bela? "Ia" kaj
"cxia" floro estas beta, "nenia" estas malbela. Mi admiras la rozon;
"tia" floro la plej placxas al mi. "What (kind of)" flower is the most
beautiful? "Any kind" and "every kind" of flower is beautiful, "no kind"
is ugly. I admire the rose, "that kind of" flower pleases me the most.
"ial", motive, reason. "Kial" li iros en Parizon? Mi ne scias; "ial"
li foriros, sed "cxial" estus pli bone resti en Londono. Li deziras
foriri, "tial" li foriros. "Why" is he going (will he go) to Paris?
I know not; "for some reason" he is going, but "for every reason" (on
every account) it would be better to remain in London. He wishes to go,
"therefore" (for that reason) he will go.
"iam", time. "Kiam" vi venos min viziti? "Iam" mi venos, "kiam" mi havos
libertempon; vi "cxiam" havas libertempon, mi "neniam". Postmorgaux
estos festo, "tiam" mi venos. "When" will you come to visit me?
"Sometime" I will come, "when" (at what time) I shall have a holiday;
you "always" (at all times) have a holiday, I "never" (at no time). (The
day) after to-morrow will be a festival (a general holiday); I will come
"then" (at that time).
"ie", place. "Kie" estas mia cxapelo? Gxi devas esti "ie", sed mi
sercxis gxin "cxie", kaj "nenie" mi povas trovi gxin. Ha, nun mi ekvidas
gxin "tie". "Where" is my hat? It must be "somewhere", but I have looked
for it "everywhere", and "nowhere" can I find it. Ha, now I see it
"there".
"iel", manner. "Kiel" vi faros tion cxi? Mi ne scias; mi "cxiel" provis
gxin fari, sed mi "neniel" sukcesis. Johano sukcesis "iel"; eble li
faris gxin "tiel". "How" will you do this? I do not know; I have tried
in every way to do it, but I have "in no way" (not at all) succeeded.
John succeeded "in some way" (somehow); perhaps he did it "so (in such a
way").
"ies", possession. "Kies" devo estas tio cxi? Eble gxi estas "ties";
sendube gxi estas "ies". "Cxies" devo estas "nenies". "Whose" duty
is this? Perhaps it is "that one's (person's)"; doubtless it is
"somebody's. Everybody's" duty is "nobody's."
"io", thing. "Kio" malplacxas al vi? Nun "nenio" malplacxas al mi,
"cxio" estas bona. Antaux tri tagoj "io" tre malplacxis al mi, sed mi ne
parolas pri "tio" nun. "What" displeases you? Now "nothing" displeases
me, "all" is well. Three days ago "something" greatly displeased me, but
I am not speaking about "that" now.
"iom", quantity. "Kiom" da mono vi bezonas? Mi havas "tiom", mi povas
prunti al vi "iom", sed ne "cxiom". Se mi pruntus al vi "cxiom", mi mem
havus "neniom". "How much" money do you need ? I have "so much (that
quantity)", I can lend you "some", but not "all". If I were to lend you
"all", I myself should have "none".
"iu" denotes individuality, person, or thing specified. "Kiu" estis cxe
la balo? "Cxiu, kiu" estis invitita, estis tie, "neniu" forestis. "Iu,
kiun" mi mem ne konas, venis kun "tiu kiu" vizitis vin hierau. "Who" was
at the ball? "Everybody who" had been invited was there, "nobody" was
absent. "Somebody, whom" I myself do not know, came with "that person
who" visited you yesterday.
It will be seen from these examples that the words beginning with
"K" either "ask questions" or "refer" to some person or thing before
mentioned. Those beginning with "T" point to a "definite" time, place,
etc. Those with "Cx" signify "each" or "every", and in the plural "all".
Those without a letter prefixed are "indefinite", meaning some or any;
and those with "nen-" are "negative", meaning "no, none".
The words ending in "ia" and those in "iu" can take the plural "j" and
accusative "n".
The words in "io" take "n", but the sense does not permit of their
taking "j".
The words in "ie" take the "n" denoting direction.
The word "cxi", signifying nearness, is used with the "T" series (words
meaning "that"), to denote the one near "i.e., this", as "Tio cxi", this
thing; "Tiu cxi", this person; "Tie cxi", or, "cxi tie", here, etc.
The word "ajn", ever, is used with the "K" series to give a more
inclusive and wider meaning, as "Kio ajn", whatever; "Kiu ajn", whoever;
"Kiam ajn", whenever; "Kiom ajn", however much.