Among the Primary Words are found all the personal and demonstrative pronouns, all the cardinal numbers and prepositions, and also many common adverbs and conjunctions. It is important, therefore, that the student should thoroughly master their meaning.
52. Foreign words are those which in most languages are derived from the same source, and, being consequently much alike in formation, are easily understood by most nations, there being only a slight difference in spelling and that difference of termination which occurs in all languages. Dr. Zamenhof wisely lays down that they should undergo no change, beyond conforming to Esperanto orthography and its grammatical terminations.
In order to show their change from English spelling, the following examples are given, not only of words which may be called "foreign," but of others that are a near approach to English in formation. It must be borne in mind that these changes of letters by no means invariably take place; they are only _general_.
C (hard) = _K_ generally, as:--_Declare_ = deklari, _economy_ = ekonomio, _decameter_ = dekametro, _hectogram_ = hektogramo. In a few cases _C_ becomes _Ĉ_, as:--_Dedicate_ = dediĉi, _carpenter_ = ĉarpentisto (probably from the French _charpentier_).
C (soft) generally undergoes no change, so remains _C_ with its sound of _TS_, as:--_Cipher_ = cifero, _cigar_ = cigaro, _glycerine_ = glicerino, _grimace_ = grimaco, _spice_ = spico. Some few words change to _Z_, as:--_Price_ = prezo.
Ch (soft) = _Ĉ_ generally, as:--_Chamber_ = ĉambro, _charming_ = ĉarma, _chaste_ = ĉasta, _chief_ = ĉefo.
Ch (hard) = _Ĥ_ generally, as:--_Chameleon_ = ĥameleono, _chaos_ = ĥaoso, _chemistry_ = ĥemio, _cholera_ = ĥolero, _hypochondria_ = hipoĥondrio, _chorister_ = ĥoristo. It will be seen that these words are mostly derived from the Greek.
G (soft or hard) = _G_ generally, as:--_Geology_ = geologio, _elegant_ = eleganta, _general_ (officer) = generalo. The exceptions in which Ĝ is used are mostly words following the French pronunciation, as:--_Danger_ = danĝero, _garden_ = ĝardeno, _general_ (adjective) = ĝenerala, _germ_ = ĝermo, _giraffe_ = ĝirafo, etc.
PH = _F_, as:--_Elephantiasis_ = elefantiazo, _sphere_ = sfero, etc.