Older Esperanto
Older Esperanto differs in a few details; ci and -ujo are not among them.
How It Works
| Older style | Today |
|---|---|
| dek milionoj personoj | dek milionoj da personoj |
| Ĝi estis varmega posttagmezo. | Estis varmega posttagmezo. |
| kiel se before a clause | kvazaŭ |
These come from Zamenhof's own writing and from the first years of the language. Today a number noun such as milionoj needs da, an empty ĝi is felt to be an error, and kvazaŭ is the usual word for as if.
Two things that many people call old are not. The pronoun ci is in the Fundamento's word list and in one sentence of its exercises, and PMEG says it was never really used. The country names with -ujo, such as Francujo, are as correct as the names with -io (Francio), and writers use both today.
When you read a classic book, you may meet these older habits. The Fundamento stays the stable base, so older texts are still readable.
Examples (5)
- Mi promesas lerni la lingvon, se dek milionoj personoj donos la saman promeson.
I promise to learn the language if ten million people give the same promise.
Older style: milionoj stands without da. Today: dek milionoj da personoj.
- Ĝi estis varmega posttagmezo.
It was a hot afternoon.
Zamenhof sometimes used ĝi as an empty subject; today the sentence starts with Estis.
- Estis varmega posttagmezo, kaj Ana laboris en la ĝardeno.
It was a hot afternoon, and Ana worked in the garden.
The modern way to write the same kind of sentence, with no empty subject.
- Ni parolas pri Francujo kaj Francio; ambaŭ formoj estas bonaj.
We talk about Francujo and Francio; both forms are good.
Both country names are correct today.
- Ana legas klasikan romanon, kiun Zamenhof tradukis.
Ana reads a classic novel that Zamenhof translated.
Classic books from Zamenhof's time show the early style.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Older Esperanto differs from the standard fixed by the Fundamento and the Academy.
Related Patterns
Practice Older Esperanto in Bubblegum
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