NOTES ON DERIVATION
We have as a word basis the invariable stem, ordinarily termed {{root}}, which
is selected on the principle of maximum internationality or facility. Disregar-
ding the particles and adverbial forms, these roots fall naturally for the most
part into three classes : (1) Verbal roots indicating an action, as : ir(ar),
ba(tar), salt(ar). (2) Nominal roots denoting an object, as : hom(o), dom(o).
puer(o). (3) adjectival roots expressing a quality, as : bon(a), facil(a), avara(a).
These roots, plus the appropriate terminal letters : -ar, -o, -a, -e, constitute
the fundamental grammatical forms. The addition of these grammatical finals:
-ar, -o, -a, -e, is termed {{immediate}} or {{direct}} derivation. {{Mediate}}
or {{indirect}} derivation is accomplished by means of affixes (prefixes and
suffixes), as : des-, refro-, -estr-, -in-. The sum of the words that can
logically be formed from any one root by mediate or immediate derivation
constitutes the {{word family.}}
It is a fundamental principle that a root expresses one basic signification,
modified as it may be by the different affixes, each of which in turn carries
one invariable sense. One root, one meaning; one affix, one meaning. Knowing
the form (spelling) and meaning of a root, we can logically and clearly express
all related ideas by use of the proper affix. This characteristic is termed the
principle of {{unasenceso}}, one sense, one word, uniqueness in signification,
unambiguity. For example, the fundamental idea of music is expressed by the
root : muzik-, this idea of music therefore is carried in all corms of the root
: nouns, adjectives, or what not. The suffix -isto indicates a person occupied
professionally with something. .Muzik-isto can therefore only signify a (profe-
ssional) musician. Given the verbal root : dorm-art to slccp, we know that the
substantive form is dormtadlo and means sleep as a substantive and cannot refer
to a sleeper or a sleeping place. There is thus a reciprocal relation between
form and sense. This carries with it a second principle, that of {{reversibil-
ity}} which Professor Couturat formulated as follows :
{{ Every derivative must be reversible; that is to say, if one passes (forward)
from one word to another of the same family by virtue of a certain rule, one
must be able to pass inversely from the second to the first in virtue of the
rule which is exactly the reverse of the preceding. }}
Given pac-o, peace, pac-ar can only signify to be at peace, in a state of peace.
Pac-ar cannot signify to pacify, because if it did the substantive could only
mean pacification, the making ol peace. To express the idea of to pacify, paci-
fication, we must add the suffix -if- which adds to the root the idea of: to
make, render, cause to be. Pac-if-ar therefore logically expresses the idea of
to pacify (someone) and pac-if-o translates pacification. If we should depart
from the substantive kron-o, a crown, the immediate verbal form kron-ar could
have no rational meaning. Kron-ar, as derived from kron-o in the sense of a
crown, cannot logically express the idej of : to crown (someone), because the
meaning of the substantive inversely derived from {{to crown}} is and can only
logically be : the act of crowning, the coronation, not the crown itself. To
express the idea of : to crown (someone), we use the suffix -iz- which adds to
the root the idea of : covering, furnishing, providing. {{To crown}} is only
logically expressed, therefore, by kron-iz-ar (kron : crown, plus -izar : to
cover with). From this verbal form, we logically get kron-izo, meaning corona-
tion. This capability of reversing a derivative form and arriving at the origi-
nal meaning is the practical test of the rightness of a derived form. Attention
is especially called to this point because in our {{natural}} languages, espec-
ially the English, almost any simple noun may be used as a verb without change
of form ---- we {{ship goods}}: and {{ship a crew}} and send the goods and the
crew to the ship. We understand such meanings from an inspection of the sentence
as a whole and because we are familiar with the diction. In a logically constr-
ucted language to be used by diverse linguistic groups such use is not admissi-
ble. It ls an obvious fact that a substantive derived from a verb, can have lo-
gically no other meaning than the state or action expressed by the verb and,
consequently, no verb can be directly derived from a noun unless the noun expr-
esses an act or condition, in which case the verb must signify to do that act
or be in that condition. This is likewise true in regard to the impossibility
of deriving verbs directly from adjectives - we must add the appropriate verbal
suffix (-ig, -esk, -if) or, for passive senses, the proper form of the verb es-
ar.
Substantives from adjectives :
If the adjective expresses a quality essentially human (or animal), the sub-
stantive denotes a person (or animate object) : saj-a, -o, wise (person) ;
blind-a, -o, a blind (person or animal) ; katolik-a, -o, catholic (person).
If the adjective expresses a quality essentially non-human, the substantive
denotes a thing : acid-a, -o, acid (adjective and noun) ; rekt-at -o, (a)
straight (line) ; kav-a, -o, hollow (adjective and noun).
If the quality expressed by the adjective is applicable to both animate and
inanimate objects, the substantive form in -o can logically stand for either
form of abject, and the meaning must be obtained from the context. Where
there is likely to be doubt as to the meaning of the substantive (whether
person or thing) the ambiguity can be removed by adding -ulo, -ino for pers-
ons and -ajo for things. For example : bono, alt-o, perfekt-o may refer to
either persons or things that are good, high, perfect, but bon-ulo, alt-ulo,
perfekt-ulo can only apply to persons, and bon-ajo, alt-ajo, perfekt-ajo can
only denote inanimate objects.
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"Suenyo Imposible"
Con fe' lo imposible sonyar al mal combatir
sin temor triunfar sobre el miedo invencible en
pie soportar el dolor
Amar la pureza sin par buscar la verdad del
error vivir con los brazos abiertos creer en un
mundo mejor
Es mi ideal la estrella alcanzar no importa
cuan lejos se pueda encontrar luchar por el bien
sin dudar ni temer y dispuesto al infierno
llegar si lo dicta el deber
Y yo se' que si logro ser fiel a mi
suenyo ideal estara' mi alma en paz
al llegar de mi vida el final
Sera' este mundo mejor si hubo quien
despreciando el dolor combatio' hasta el
u'ltimo aliento
Con fe' lo imposible sonyar y la
estrella alcanzar
Anke me esas viro de la Mancha (menchi*) kun mea idealo...
mea grandega revo nun preske ne'posibla ke Ido esez la linguo inter'naciona
en la venonta mondo ube mea e via decendanti povez juar sua vivo
kun sola e bela e facile lernebra idiomo qua facas la tota homaro ye felica,
irge quale li esus nur povra o fortunoze richa, edukita o ne'suficante edukita.
Venez tal mondo sur ca gaiya*, nia planeto, en la universo dil Deo!
mencho*: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mensch
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