The International Auxiliary Language Esperanto: Grammar & Commentary. George Cox
The above, therefore, in bald English is "I not know where I left my stick; whether you it not have seen (or, did see)?" Now this is perfectly comprehensible to any Englishman. But some may say, "But if the German had written in his own language, and I had found a German dictionary, I could quite as easily have made out his meaning." Now the following is the German for this sentence:—Ich weiss nicht wo ich meinen Stock gelassen habe; haben Sie ihn nicht gesehen?
On referring to the German dictionary, and looking out the words, he would find:—ICH=I, WEISS=white, NICHT=not, WO=where, ICH=I, MEINEN=to think, STOCK=stick, GELASSEN=composed, calm, HABE=property, goods, HABEN=to have, SIE=she, her, it, they, them, you, IHN=(not in the dictionary), NICHT=not, GESEHEN=(not in the dictionary). Therefore the sentence would read:—I white not where I to think stick composed property; to have she (blank) not (blank).
It would be rather difficult to gather the meaning of this!
On leaving the university, Dr. Zamenhof commenced his medical practice, and began to consider the publication of his language. He prepared the manuscript of his first brochure, "An International Language, by Dr. Esperanto, Preface and Full Manual," and sought out a publisher. For two years he sought in vain, the financial question meeting him at every turn; but, at length, after strenuous efforts, he succeeded in publishing the brochure himself, in 1887. He had "crossed the Rubicon," and Esperanto was given to the World!
Before concluding this preface let me give a word of advice to learners. Do not think, after a few days’ study, as many do, that you can improve the language. If you have such thoughts, put down on a piece of paper your youthful would-be improvements, and think no more of them till you have a really good knowledge of the language. Then read them over, and they will go at once into the waste-paper basket! or, perhaps, be preserved as curiosities! The most skilled Esperantists have had these thoughts, and have wasted valuable time in thinking them out, only to find at last that the more they studied Esperanto, the less they found it needed alteration. This is what Dr. Zamenhof himself says on the point:—"As the author of the language, I naturally, more than anyone else, would wish that it should be as perfect as possible; it is more difficult for me than others to hold back from fancied improvements, and I have at times been tempted to propose to Esperantists some slight alterations, but I bore in mind the great danger of this step and abandoned my intention." Copy the Doctor in this, and whatever you do, do not attempt to put your crude ideas of improvement into print.
In compiling this Commentary, my thanks are due to the following works I have consulted:—
"Fundamenta Krestomatio," by Dr. Zamenhof.
"Fundamento de Esperanto," by Dr. Zamenhof.
"The Student’s Complete Text Book," by Mr. J. C. O’Connor, B.A.
"Grammaire et Exercises," "Commentaire sur la Grammaire Esperanto," "Ekzercoj de Aplikado," "Texte Synthetique," all by M. L. de Beaufront.
"Esperanta Sintakso," by M. Paul Fruictier.
Various articles in "The Esperantist" and "The British Esperantist" gazettes.
As regards personal assistance, Mr. Bolingbroke Mudie very kindly looked over the MS. before its completion.
In preparing the manuscript for publication, my warmest thanks are due to Mr. E. A. Millidge, F.B.E.A., who took infinite pains in correcting errors of all kinds. And I must take occasion here to say that any points of grammar that may be found incorrect, or failure in making explanations clear to learners, are, in all probability, due to my not strictly following his suggestions.
George Cox.
August 21st, 1906.
PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION
In this Second Edition of the "Grammar and Commentary" the press and other errors which appeared in the first edition have been corrected, and the book has been revised throughout; the text also has been altered, where explanations were not quite clear.
In Part I an attempt has been made to give a nearer approach to the proper pronunciation of the vowels which differ in sound from those in English. In Part II the use of some of the pronouns, correlative words, and adverbs has been more fully explained, and fresh pages have been added to the verb section, showing, by numerous examples, the rendering of the common English verbs "can, could, may, might, shall, will, should, would, must, ought." In Part V, additions have been made in the list of useful words and expressions.
My thanks, for their kind assistance in the revision of the book, are especially due to Mr. E. A. Millidge, Mr. A. E. Wackrill, Mr. J. M. Warden (President of the Edinburgh Group), Mr. M. C. Butler, Mr. G. W. Bullen, Dr. R. Legge, Mr. W. Bailey, Mr. C. P. Blackham, Mr. P. J. Cameron, Mr. H. Clegg, Mr. W. Morrison, Mr. G. Ledger, and many other kind Esperantists, who have written to me pointing out errors and giving useful suggestions.
Even in this second edition I fear that some errors will be found, and I shall, therefore, be extremely obliged if Esperantists will kindly point out to me any they may meet with.
George Cox.
April 12th, 1907.
PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION
In this Third Edition of the "Grammar and Commentary" I have again to thank many kind Esperantist friends for assisting