Esperantista Klubo,
18an de aprilo, 1906a.
Londono.

Kara Karlĉjo,

Kiam vi ricevos ĉi tiun leteron, eble vi diros: "Kio estas ĉi tio? Kia lingvo ĝi estas?" Sed, kiam vi malfermos la ŝlosileton (ĉi tie enfermitan), kaj jam tralegos la unuajn ok paĝojn, vi diros: "Estas mirinde! Kiu ĝin kredus? Mi povas tute facile kompreni ĉi tiun strangan lingvon! Kio oni ĝin nomas? Ho! mi vidas, ‘Esperanto!’ Kion signifas ‘ŝlosileto’? Mi serĉu en la libreto mem. Jen estas! ‘Ŝlos’ = lock; ‘il’ = instrument; ‘et’ = diminutive; ‘o’ = ending of nouns; tial ‘ŝlosileto’ signifas a diminutive instrument for locking, = a tiny key. Nu, se mi povas tiel facile, unuavide, kompreni la lingvon, ĝia aŭtoro havas ĉian kaŭzon por esperi, ke li efektivigos sian deziron; kaj mi kore deziras, ke li sukcesu. Mi certe lernos Esperanton kaj penos disvastigi ĝin kiel eble plej multe."

Kaj nun, mia kara Karlo, skribu al mi leteron Esperante, kaj diru al mi, ĉu mi ne estas tute prava, imagante, ke la suprediritaj vortoj estas ĝuste tiuj, kiujn vi pensis, ricevinte tiun ĉi leteron.

Ĉiam la via,
G.C.

Postskribaĵo. P.S.—Ĉi tiu klubo estas tute esperantista. Ĉiuj anoj aŭ parolas Esperanton, aŭ lernadas ĝin; por ĉi tiuj, ni havas ĉambron aparte dediĉitan al la lernantoj, kaj unu el la anoj donas lecionojn ĉiutage. La kelneroj kaj ĉiuj servistoj parolas la lingvon. La manĝokartoj kaj vinkartoj estas en Esperanto, kaj ni ĉiam parolas Esperante unu kun la aliaj. Mi esperas, ke vi aniĝos, kiam vi revenos Anglujon.

Translation.

Esperantist Club,
18th April, 1906.

Dear Charlie,

When you receive this letter possibly you will say: "What is this? What language is it?" But when you open the ŝlosileto (herewith enclosed), and have read through the first eight pages, you will say: "It is wonderful! Who would believe it? I can quite easily understand this queer language! What do they call it? Oh! I see, ‘Esperanto!’ What does ‘ŝlosileto’ mean? Let me look in the book itself. Here it is! ‘ŝlos’ = lock; ‘il’ = instrument; ‘et’ = diminutive; ‘o’ = ending of nouns; therefore ‘ŝlosileto’ means a diminutive instrument for locking, = a tiny key. Well, if I can so easily, at first sight, understand the language, its author has every reason to hope that he will realize his desire, and I heartily hope that he will succeed. I shall certainly learn Esperanto, and try to spread it as much as possible."

And now, my dear Charles, write me a letter in Esperanto, and tell me if I am not quite right in imagining that the above-mentioned words are exactly what you thought, after receiving this letter.

Always yours,
G.C.

Postscript. P.S.—This Club is entirely Esperantist. All members either speak Esperanto or are learning it; for the latter we have a room specially set apart for learners, and one of the members gives lessons daily. The waiters and all the servants speak the language. The menus and wine cards are in Esperanto, and we always speak Esperanto to each other. I hope you will become a member when you return to England.

PART V

LIST OF PRIMARY WORDS.

A

B

C

D

E

F

Ĝ

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

S

T

U

V

LIST OF USEFUL WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS.

In making use of the following list of Adverbs, Adjectives, Conjunctions, Prepositions, and adverbial and prepositional expressions, if the student has any doubt as to the correct Esperanto words he should select when more than one is given, he will generally find them explained (with examples) in the Alphabetical Lists of Adverbs, Prepositions, and Conjunctions at pages 166, 180, and 219.

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

Y

HINTS TO LEARNERS.

These hints are principally for learners teaching themselves. Follow the advice of your instructor, if you have a good one.

(1). First study carefully the pronunciation (pars. 5–19).

(2). Learn, in the following order, Grammatical Terminations (par. 53); Suffixes and Prefixes (pars. 54, 55); Pronouns (pars. 126, 131); List of Prepositions (page 180); Correlative Words (par. 147); List of Primary Words (page 334); Use of the Accusative (pars. 65–68).

(3). Read aloud daily some portion of the "Krestomatio," and Exercises on pages 259–315.

(4). Translate daily some portion of the "Krestomatio," or Kabe’s "Unua Legolibro," into English, and then back into Esperanto, and compare. At first, translate the Esperanto fairly literally, so as to get a good idea of the usual order of words in Esperanto, and where it differs from English in construction. Afterwards translate into fluent English, and then back into Esperanto.

(5). Get readiness of expression by constantly asking yourself aloud questions, and then replying to them; by saying in Esperanto what you see when walking out, what you are doing, etc., as, "Now I must go to bed," "It is time to get up," "I must cross the street," "I wonder who lives there," etc., etc.

(6). Read anecdotes in the "Krestomatio," or in Kabe’s "Unua Legolibro," and then try to repeat them, as if you were telling them to someone. Keep on repeating an anecdote until you can tell it as fluently in Esperanto as in English, but not necessarily in the exact words of the book.

(7). In writing, say aloud the sentences as you write them. Your ear will then often prevent errors.

(8). Write your diary in Esperanto.

(9). Read the best authors, and mark in pencil any words or phrases which strike you as useful to remember. Write these in a notebook for future reference.

(10). Don’t slavishly copy in your style any particular author. Note the good points in each, and remember that what is not easily understood is not good style, however correct it may be grammatically.

(11). After about a week’s study, look out for recruits and teach them what you have learnt. In teaching others you teach yourself.

(12). When you read your daily newspaper, translate aloud a few sentences; that will give you facility of expression in many subjects.

(13). Always bear in mind the following:—

(a). Every letter and syllable is pronounced (par. 16).

(b). Do not clip or drag the vowels (pars. 8–10).

(c). The tonic accent is always on the last syllable but one (par. 17).

(d). Do not use the compound forms of verbs unless necessary for the sense (pars. 167–170, 222–226).

(e). Remember that each preposition in Esperanto, except je, has a fixed meaning (pars. 250, 251).

(f). Note carefully the use of the accusative case (pars. 66–68).

(g). Avoid conundrums in the shape of long compound words of three or more different roots. A sentence in Esperanto is not a riddle!