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which arises the word “frato;” to form the feminine the suffix “in” is added to the root and placed before the case ending. The commas[1] are used to show the manner in which the word has been put together, thus facilitating its being found in the dictionary. So no trouble is given to the learner as far as the disarticulation of words is concerned; he has no notion that what he calls suffix or affix are really independent words of invariable signification, whether at the beginning, end or middle of other words–that each of these particles can be employed independently, either as a root or as a grammatical form. From this it results that everything written in the International Language can be immediately comprehended in every precise shade of meaning (with or without the aid of a dictionary), not only by those who have no preliminary knowledge of its grammar, but even by those who have never heard of its existence.[2]
For example, suppose I am in England, and, although entirely ignorant of the language, yet am obliged to interrogate some one; I write down the following words:
“Mi ne sci,as kie mi las,is la baston,o,n; chu vi ghi,n ne vid,is?”
I hand this to him with the International Dictionary, and show him the first page, wherein is printed: “All that is written in the International Tongue can be understood by the aid of the vocabulary. When words are joined together to express a single notion, their component particles are separated by a comma;[1] thus, frat,in,o, although having but one meaning, is
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 In the Vocabulary, etc., the Translator has used the hyphen to disarticulate the words, believing it less liable to lead to error than the comma.
- ↑ The Translator wrote a letter in this language to a young friend who had previously never seen nor heard of it, enclosing the printed vocabulary; he received an answer in the same tongue, with no other aid. This was a crucial test.
