Gramatik

III. THE ADJECTIVE.

§ 8. Adjectives are distinguished as primitive, e. g. grand great, fasil easy, and derivative, which are formed from other parts of speech by the addition of one of the seven suffixes -abl, -al, -an, -atr, -id, -ik, -os. (r. 12).

Adjectives in -abl show that something is possible or worthy, with a passive meaning; this suffix is used principally with verbal roots, e. g. komprendabl comprehensible, intelligible, konvenabl suitable, fitting. (r.49).

The suffix -al is used instead of the suffix -ik (see below), if the root ends in -ik, e. g. gramatikal grammatical, teknikal technical. (r. 133).

Adjectives in -an show appurtenance to some one or something, e. g. mahometan Mahometan, amerikan American. (r. 32).

Adjectives in -atr indicate similarity or likeness; this suffix can be joined to substantive and adjective roots, e. g. petratr stone-like, petrous, verdatr greenish. (r. 50).

Remark. If words end in a, the suffixes -abl, -an, -atr are changed into -bl, -n, -tr, e. g. rusian Russian, akuatr watery. (r. 49, 32, 50).

Adjectives in -id show a quality of some one or of something; this suffix is used with verbal roots, e. g. timid timid, splendid splendid, bright. (r. 135).

Adjectives in -os indicate a fullness or multitude of anything, e.g. petros stony, oleos oily, lanos woolly, amoros amorous. (r. 33).

The suffix -ik is the general adjective suffix; it indicates quality and is used to form derivative adjectives, for which the remaining suffixes, -abl, -an, -atr, -id, -os, are not suitable because of their special signification, e. g. elektrik electric, rusik Russian, anuik annual, Atlantik Atlantic, fantastik fantastic, galvanik galvanic, hastik hasty, historik historic, homikhuman, horisontik horizontal, idealik ideal, identik identical, lanik woolen, etc. (r. 31, r. 39).

§ 9. Comparison takes place by putting before the adjective the adverbs plu, for the comparative, and leplu for the superlative, e. g. plu grand greater, leplu grand greatest. (r. 123).

The conjunction than after the comparative is translated by ka, e. g. vo es plu grand ka mi, you are taller than I. So—as, as—as, are rendered by tale—kuale, e. g. vo es tale grandkuale mi, you are as tall as I. (c. 42/44).

The adverb very is translated by multe, e. g. multe grand very great. (c. 42/44).

§ 10. The adjective always follows the substantive to which it belongs, e. g. dom grand the large house, lingu universal the universal language (r. 84), and is never varied, e. g. patrbon the good father, filia bon the good daughter, filii bon the good children. (Gl. n.) (*).

§ 11. Every adjective can be used as a substantive, and is then declined as a substantive, e. g. boni e mali the good and the bad, poltron cowardly, a coward. (r. 132).

§ 12. It is not allowed to form a verb from an adjective by means of the general verbal suffixes, but, for the sake of clearness, either the verb esar to be, or one of the suffixes, –ifikaror –eskar, is to be used, e. g. esar san to be well (healthy), sanifikar to heal, saneskar to recover, to convalesce. (r. 121).