-em-: joined especially to verbal roots signifies: (persons) inclined to; disposition, bent: atak-ar, to attack; atak-ema, agressive; babil-ar, to chatter; babil-ema, talkative, gossipy; labor-ar, to work; labor- ema, industrious; (cf. -atr-).
-end-: used to form adjectives from verbal roots; has an essentially passive sense ; indicating something to be or which must be done: kred-ar, to believe, kred-enda, (something) which must be believed; pag-ar, to pay; pag-enda, something which must be paid; solv-ar, to solve; solv-enda, something which must be solved; (cf. note under -ind-).
-er-: denotes a person occupied in a customary, though not
professional activity or occupation: fum-ar, to smoke, fum-ero, smoker, (one who habitually smokes); dans-ero, dancer (but not a professional); fotograf-ero, an amateur photographer. This suffix is also used for animals (or even things) to denote a characteristic action: rept-ar, to crawl; rept-ero, a reptile (cf. -ajo with intransitive verbs); rod-ar, to gnaw; rod-ero, a rodent; klim- ar, to climb; klim-ero, climber (a plant, for instance, which has a tendency to climb).
Note: It differs from the present participle in that -ero refers to an habitual act, while -anto indicates a person performing a mere act at the present time. dans-anto is simply a person now dancing (possibly one who never danced before); dans-ero, refers to a person accustomed to dance (though not professionally); (cf. -ist).
-eri-: denotes an establishment, especially industriaclass="underline" imprim-erio, a printing establishment; distil-erio, a distillery; lakt-erio, a dairy;
chapel-erio, a hat factory ; (cf. note under -ey-).
-es-: corresponds to the English suffixes -ion, -ness, -ity, -ship, etc.; used abstractly; denoting with non-verbal roots a state or quality: infant-o, a child; infant-eso, infancy, childhood, childishness; malad-a, sick; malad-eso, sickness ; bel-eso, beauty; qual-eso, quality; vir-eso, manliness, virility. With verbal roots, it denotes a passive state: exhaust-ar, to exhaust; exhaust- eso, exhaustion (state ofbeing exhausted); expans-ar, to expand; expans-eso, expansion.
Note: This suffix is the root of the verb es-ar (to be).
-esk-: forms intransitive verbs denoting: to begin to, become, start, get, come to be: dorm-ar, to sleep; dorm-eskar, to fall asleep; irac- eskar, to fly into a rage, begin to be mad; pal-a, pale; pal-eskar, to turn pale; rich-a, rich; rich-eskar, to get, become rich; petr-o, stone; petr-eskar, to become a stone.
-estr-: head of, chief of: urb-o, city; urb-estro, mayor; nav-o, ship; nav-estro, captain.
-et-: forms diminutives or indicates a smaller degree or qualitative change: mont-o, mountain; mont-eto, hill; river-o, river; river- eto, a brook; bel-a, beautiful; bel-eta, pretty; varm-a, warm; varm-eta, lukewarm; rid-ar, to laugh, rid-etar, to smile; dorm- etar, to sleep a little, take a nap. It is also used as an affectionate diminutive: patrul-eto, daddy; patrin-eto, little mother, dear mother.
-ey-: denotes the place of (or for) the action or object characterized by the root (generally a room or building): kaval-o, horse, kaval- eyo, place for a horse or horses, a stable; koqu-ar, to cook; koqu- eyo, a place for cooking, a kitchen; manj-ar, to eat; manj-eyo, a place for eating, a dining room.
Note: This suffix can be sufficiently distinguished from -eri by the following examples : lav-ar, to wash; lav-eyo, is a place for washing, a wash-room; lav-erio, is a washing establishment, a laundry; manj-eyo is simply a place to eat; manj-erio is an eating establishment: a restaurant; (cf. note under -i-).
-i-: denotes a domain, province, country, depending upon the authority of the person involved: rej-o, king, queen; rej-io, kingdom; duk- o, duke, duchess; duk-io, a duchy; episkop-io, diocese; parok-io, parish.
Note: With the suffix -ey-, instead of -i-, the above words would refer to residences, palaces, castles: duk-eyo, a ducal palace; episkop-eyo, residence of a bishop. rej-eyo, royal palace.
-id-: denotes offspring, descendant: izrael-ido, an Israelite; rej-ido, the offspring of a king ; Napoleon-ido, a descendant ofNapoleon. This suffix refers only to offspring of persons. For progeny other than of persons, -yun- is used: bov-yuno, a veal; kaval-yuno, a foal; (cf. -yun-).
-ier-: with persons, it denotes an individual characterized by a certain attribute, object or peculiarity: kuras-o, cuirass, armor; kuras- iero, armor-clad-person; rent-o, annuity, rent-iero, annuity- holder, annuitant, person of independent means. -ier- can also designate a tree or plant which bears, produces: pom-o, an apple, pom-iero, an apple tree; roz-o, a rose; roz-iero, a rose bush. With things, it denotes a holder, stand, etc. into which the object is appropriately put: sigar-o, cigar; sigar-iero, a cigar-holder; plum- iero, a pen-holder; kandel-iero, a candlestick. Note: This last use of the suffix is somewhat similar to the use of -uyo, but -uyo refers to a case, box, chest, sheath: sigar-uyo, a cigar box; plum-uyo, a box for pens; kandel-uyo, a receptacle for candles.
-if-: added to nominal roots to form intransitive verbs denoting: to
generate, produce, secrete : sang-o, blood; sang-ifar, to bleed, to lose blood; urin-ifar, to secrete urine, to urinate; sudor-o, perspiration; sudor-ifar, to perspire; pom-ifar, to bear apples; flor-ifar, to flower. This suffix is particularly useful to indicate the manufacture, making of tools and other articles: martel-o, a hammer; martel-ifar, to make, manufacture hammers (to hammer something is expressed by martel-agar); martel-if-isto, a hammer maker.
-ig-: added to adjectives and nouns to form verbs with a transitive sense, denoting: to make, render, transform into: petr-o, a stone; petr-igar, to petrify; fil-o, a thread, fil-igar, to transform (something) into thread; bel-a, beautiful; bel-igar, to beautify; rekt-a, straight, rekt-igar, to straighten; larj-a, broad; larj-igar, to broaden.
Note 1: This suffix is also used as an independent verb meaning : to make, to render, to cause: (igar richa = rich-igar = to enrich). With intransitive verbs, it gives an active sense (= ig-ar xxx- anta), thus transforming them into transitive verbs: dorm-ar, to sleep ; dorm-igar, to put (someone) to sleep (= ig-ar dorm-anta); pac-ar, to be at peace; pac-igar, to pacify; mort-ar, to die; mort- igar, to cause to die, put to death. With transitive verbs, it has a passive sense (= ig-ar xxx-ata), usually followed by the preposition da; skrib-igar = igar skribata. Examples of this use can be found in the dictionary under da and ig-ar (cf. Talmoy's Text Book, pp. 48, 49 and note 21).
Note 2: The use of -igar with da and transitive verbs in a passive mode is an awkward construct for English speakers. More direct constructions in active voice may be a better choice: me igas Robert skribar letro = I let Robert write a letter, (instead of: me skribigas letro da Robert = me igas letro skribata da Robert = I let a letter be written by Robert).
-ik-: means "sick of", "suffering from"; refers to a person having the disease, not the disease itself: artrit-o, arthritis; artrit-iko, an arthritic; alkohol-iko, an alcoholic patient. tuberklos-o, tuberculosis; tuberklos-iko, a tubercular patient.Note: In such cases, the suffix -ala would be an adjective referring to the disease, not to the person who has it: artrit-o, arthritis; artrit-ala doloro, arthritic pain.
-il-: added to verbal roots, it denotes the instrument, the tool or the means of performing an action: bros-ar, to brush; bros-ilo, a brush; paf-ar, to shoot; paf-ilo, a shooting instrument, as a gun ; telegraf-ilo: a telegraphing instrument; bar-ar, to barr; bar-ilo, a barrier.
Note : In cases where there are many kinds of instruments to perform a particular action, more appropriate words should be used, if they are available, in place of -il-, which carries a general meaning: skrib-ilo may refer to any kind of writing instruments: pen, pencil, typewriter, etc...; therefore it is ordinarily desirable to use in place of -il-, the words: plumo, krayono, skribmashino; tranch-ilo (tranch-ar = to cut) may refer to any cutting instrument, therefore kultelo should be used when a knife is meant. Use fusil-o in place of paf-ilo when a gun is meant.