The Basic Grammar of Ido/Affixes

Ido can derive an infinite number of different and precise meanings from a root and a variety of suffixes. Suffixes A suffix is an element added to the end of a root to change the meaning of a word. It often changes the category of the word, for example by turning an adjectival root into a verb. Gender Suffixes In Ido, most nouns are neuter. To indicate gender, you must add the suffix "-ul" (masculine) or "-in" (feminine). For example, "hom-ul-o" means "man", "hom-in-o" means "woman", whilst "homo" means "human". Similarly, "frat-ul-o" means "brother", "frat-in-o" means "sister", whilst "frato" is a gender-neutral term for "brother" or "sister". Participles The participle is a verb form. In practice, it acts as a suffix that transforms the verb root into an adjective. It is distinguished by whether it is active or passive, and by the tense. ActivePassivePresentANTATPastINTITFutureONTOT Particles may be followed by three types of suffixes. If they are attached to a root, they are by default considered to be modifying words. For example, "manjanta kato" means "a eating cat". When it is followed by the ending "o", it generally refers to "a person who…" (by default, this refers to a person, but depending on the context, it may also refer to a concrete object). For example, "manjanto" can mean "someone who eats". Key Suffixes SuffixExplanationExampleACHPoor quality, pejorativeDom-ach-o : dilapidated houseADContinuous motionParol-ad-o : long discussion, speechAJConcrete thingManj-aj-o : foodALRelated toLiber-al-a : about freedomANMembers, residents, parishionersUrb-an-o : citizenARThe whole, the entiretyHom-ar-o : humanity ; Arbor-ar-o : forestARIThe beneficiary of the actionSend-ari-o : receiverATRLike…Flor-atr-a : like a flowerEColour of…Roz-e-a : rosyEBLCould be...Ir-ebl-a : accessibleEGHuge, extreme, deepVarm-eg-a : scorchingEMTrends, tastes, habitsLabor-em-a : who enjoys workingENDWhat needs to be doneFac-end-a : to do, to sort outERAmateur, used to doing somethingFum-er-o : smokerERIPlaces, organisationsPan-eri-o : bakeryESAbstract concepts, statesLiber-es-o : freedomESMOrdinal numberDu-esm-a : secondeESTRManager, HeadUrb-estr-o : mayorETLittleKat-et-o : kittenEYDedicated spaceDorm-ey-o : bedroomIDDescendants, derivativesKat-id-o : descendant of the catIFTo produceFlor-if-ar : to bloomIGTo make...Bel-ig-ar : to beautifyIJTo become...Rich-ij-ar : to become richILTool, instrumentSkrib-il-o : writing instrument, penINDWell worth it…Respekt-ind-a : worthy of respectISMIdeologie, doctrine, system, religionLiber-ism-o : liberalismISTProfessional, -istArt-ist-o : artistIVTo be able to… (active)Instrukt-iv-a : educationalIZCover, equipSal-iz-ar : to saltOZFull of, rich inFelic-oz-a : full of joy Prefixes Prefixes are affixes placed before the root to alter its meaning. Prepositions In Ido, many prepositions can be used as prefixes. For example, "Sur-tabla telefonilo" means "telephone on the table", and turns "on the table" into a single adjective. Key Prefixes PrefixeExplanationExampleANTITo oppose, to resistAnti-bakteria : antibacterialARKIThe highest, the first (in order of importance)Arki-regulo : fundamental ruleAUTOAutomatic, selfAuto-biografio : autobiographyBOFamily tiesBo-patro : stepfatherDESDirect antonymDes-granda : smallDISDiffusionDis-semar : to sow, to scatter seedsEXThe ex, the formerEx-prezidanto : former presidentGECommon to both sexesGe-patri : parentsMIHalfMi-horo : half an hourMISWrongly, inappropriatelyMis-komprenar : misunderstandNENegationNe-bona : not goodPARCompletely, entirelyPar-lektar : read entirelyPSEUDOFake, counterfeitPseudo-nomo : pseudonymRETROBack, returnRetro-irar : back upRIOnce againRi-facar : redoSENWithoutSen-viva : lifeless It is important to distinguish between the prefixes DES and NE. The former expresses a direct antonymy, whilst the latter merely indicates negation. Category:Book:The Basic Grammar of Ido