The International Auxiliary Language Esperanto: Grammar & Commentary. George Cox
lin, nek lian fraton = I did not meet him or (nor) his brother.
(d). Compound words with ne, sen, mal, have also a negative signification, and such words are often employed with a negative to express an affirmative assertion. (See par. 289.)
Examples.—La okazo ne estis neatendita = The event was not unexpected. Lia riĉeco ne estis senlima = His fortune was not unlimited. Li ne estis malhonesta = He was not dishonest.
60. Double Negative.—Occasionally a double negative is used to give strong force to a negation. Dr. Zamenhof, in his translation of Hamlet, Act I., Scene 5, renders "Lay your hands again upon my sword: swear by my sword, never to speak of this that you have heard" by Metu viajn manojn denove sur la glavon, kaj ripetu, ke vi neniam al neniu diros pri la apero de la nokto, lit. = Lay your hands again upon the sword, and repeat, that you never, to no one, will speak of the apparition of the night.
Some Esperantists do not consider this a double negative, but it undoubtedly is, according to the literal English translation. Another explanation of the passage is to supply mentally an omitted kaj after the word neniam.
61. Of course, when two negatives refer to different verbs, expressed or unexpressed, this is not a double negative.
Examples.—Mi ne volis, ne skribi al vi = I did not wish, not to write to you. Ne nur ne malamiko, sed kunbatalanto li estis = (He was) not only not an enemy, but he was a comrade in arms (fellow combatant).
62. Two negatives may be used in such an expression as "could not help," etc.
Example.—Li ne povis ne kisi la malgrandulon = He could not help kissing the little one. Lit.:—He could not not kiss the little one.
QUESTIONS AND REPLIES (Demandoj kaj Respondoj).
63. Jes = yes is the word used to answer a question affirmatively.
Examples.—Ĉu vi vidis mian patron? Jes! = Did you see my father? Yes. Jes, with the conjunction ke, is also used for "it is so," as, mi vin certigas, ke jes = I assure you that it is so.
Ne = no, not, is used in a similar way to answer a question negatively.
Example.—Mi vin certigas, ke ne = I assure you that it is not so.
64. To give force to affirmative or negative replies one can add to ne or jes any suitable adverb, as certe = certainly, ja = indeed, kompreneble = of course, etc., etc., or repeat the verb of the interrogation without its complement, in the same way as in English we often repeat the auxiliary of the verb.
Examples.—Ĉu vi faris tion? = Did you do that? Jes! Jes! Mi faris, or Ne! Ne! Mi ne faris = Yes, yes, I did, or No, no! I did not. Ĉu vi finis vian laboron? = Have you finished your work? Jes! mi finis, or Ne, mi ne (finis) = Yes, I have, or, No, I have not. Ĉu vi mortigis tiun birdon? = Did you kill that bird? Jes! Certe mi mortigis, or, Certe jes! or, Ne, kompreneble, mi ne mortigis, or, Kompreneble ne! = Yes! Certainly I did, or, No! Of course, I didn’t! Ĉu vi deziras kafon? = Do you want coffee? Jes, mi deziras, or Ne, mi ne deziras; mi jam havas = Yes, I do, or, No, I do not; I have (some) already.
64 (a). When the verb is omitted in the reply, the case must be used which would have been used had the verb been expressed.
Examples.—Kiom kostis la ĉapelo? Naŭ ŝilingojn (aŭ, ĝi kostis naŭ ŝilingojn) = What did the hat cost? Nine shillings (or, it cost nine shillings). Kien vi iras? En la ĝardenon (aŭ, mi iras en la ĝardenon) = Where (whither) are you going? Into the garden (or, I am going into the garden). Kiom pezas la kesto? Dek naŭ funtojn = What does the chest weigh? Nineteen pounds; but, Kiom estas la pezo de la kesto? Dek naŭ funtoj = what is the weight of the chest? Nineteen pounds.
THE ACCUSATIVE (La Akuzativo).
65. Accusative: when used.—The accusative is used in Esperanto:—
(1). To show the direct object of a verb.
(2). To show motion towards something (Rule 13, par. 94).
(3). To show a preposition has been omitted (Rules 8 and 14, par. 94).
The following are examples of these three uses:—
66 (1). To show the direct object of a verb.
(a). After transitive verbs the accusative is used to show the direct object.
Examples.—Johano vidas la knabon = John sees the boy. Georgo aĉetis bonan ĉevalon = George bought a good horse. Now in either of these sentences the order of the words can be changed without altering the meaning. La knabon vidas Johano would still mean "John sees the boy," because Johano, being in the nominative, is clearly the subject, and knabon, being in the accusative, is clearly the object. But if we inverted the words in English, the sense would be entirely changed (see order of words, pars. 73–93).
(b). After participles.—The accusative is also used after active participles (adjectival or adverbial) to denote the object.
Examples.—Johano estis rigardanta la knabon, kiam mi lin vidis = John was looking at the boy, when I saw him. Johano, vidante la knabon, donas al li pomon = John, seeing the boy, gives him an apple. Georgo estis aĉetinta ĉevalon = George had bought a horse. Georgo, aĉetinte ĉevalon, donis ĝin al sia frato = George, having bought (or, after buying) a horse, gave it to his brother (par. 212 (d)).
(c). When a verb is omitted.—The accusative is also used in exclamations and in expressions in which some verb expressing "wish" or "desire" is understood (see par. 64 (a)).
Examples.—Peston al la tranĉilo: Mi tranĉis al mi la fingron! = Plague on the knife! I have cut my finger! Bonan tagon, Sinjoro = Good day, sir. Saluton al vi, sinjorino = (lit.) Salutation to you, madam. In reply to a question the accusative is used whenever the verb in the reply, which is omitted, governs the accusative, as:—Kiom kostas tiu ĉi krajono? (Ĝi kostas) du pencojn = How much does this pencil cost? (It costs) twopence. Kiom estas la kosto de tiu ĉi krajono? (Ĝi estas) du pencoj = What is the price of this pencil? (It is) twopence.
67 (2). To show motion towards something.
(a). Accusative of direction.—To show direction towards which movement (physical or otherwise) is made the accusative is used, and this is generally called "the accusative of direction." It will be observed, however, that we can also use a preposition to show the motion, and, if such preposition in itself shows movement, its complement must be in the nominative, since all prepositions govern that case; but if the preposition does not in itself denote movement, then its complement must be in the accusative.
Examples.—Mi iras Romon (aŭ, al Romo) = I am going to Rome. Li kuris en la ĝardenon = He ran into the garden. The preposition en does not show movement, therefore ĝardenon is in the accusative, but Li kuris en la ĝardeno = He ran in the garden. This means he was already in the garden, and was running in it. Sur la danan tronon mi havas rajtojn = On the Danish throne I have rights.
(b). Adverbs