Joining Roots Into Compounds
The last root is the main idea, and the root before it tells what kind.
How It Works
| Roots | Compound | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| tag + manĝ | tagmanĝo | lunch, the meal in the middle of the day |
| lern + libr | lernolibro | textbook, a book for learning |
| vapor + ŝip | vaporŝipo | steamship, a ship driven by steam |
| poŝt + mark | poŝtmarko | stamp, a mark for the post |
The last root gives the main meaning, and the first root narrows it down. A vaporŝipo is a kind of ship, and vapor- tells how it moves. The first root can show use, place, material or how something works, so no single rule gives the link. Tradition fixes the meaning, and you learn each new compound as you meet it.
A small -o sometimes joins the two roots to make them easier to say: lernolibro. The ending goes on the whole compound, so one pair of roots gives tagmanĝo, tagmanĝoj and tagmanĝi (to have lunch).
Examples (5)
- Post la tagmanĝo ni iras al la kongreso.
After lunch we go to the congress.
Tagmanĝo joins tago and manĝo, and manĝo is the main root.
- Priya donas al Raj novan lernolibron.
Priya gives Raj a new textbook.
Lernolibro is a book for learning, and the whole word takes the -n.
- En la manĝoĉambro Ingrid parolas kun la gastoj.
In the dining room Ingrid talks with the guests.
Manĝoĉambro is a room for eating.
- La vaporŝipo veturas de Brazilo al Afriko.
The steamship travels from Brazil to Africa.
Vapor tells how the ship moves, and the last root says it is a ship.
- Dmitri aĉetas poŝtmarkon por la letero al sia amiko en Pollando.
Dmitri buys a stamp for the letter to his friend in Poland.
Poŝtmarko is a mark for the post. The whole word takes the -n.
Common Mistakes
Putting the roots in the wrong order.
Post la manĝotago ni iras al la kongreso.Post la tagmanĝo ni iras al la kongreso.The last root names the thing. In the wrong word tago comes last, so it names a kind of day. Lunch is a kind of meal, so manĝo must come last.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Two roots can join into one word, which needs the natural type of each root.
Related Patterns
- Words Are Built From Parts
The pieces that compounds are made of.
Foundations - Reading Words by Their Parts
How to take a compound apart again.
Level 4 - One Root, Many Words
How one root grows into a family of words.
Level 2 - -ej--ej-: Place
An affix that works like a last root for places.
Level 3 - -aĵ--aĵ-: A Thing or Item
An affix that works like a last root for things.
Level 3
Practice Joining Roots Into Compounds in Bubblegum
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