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3.6 Correlatives

Correlatives (Korelativoj or Tabelvortoj) is a system of 45 words, partly pronouns (kiuwho, tiuthis, kieswhose, etc), partly adverbs (kiewhere, tiethere, kiomhow much, etc).[7]

3.6.1.1 System of correlatives

Every correlative consists of two parts:
  • The first part is one of the following[8]:
    ki- = interrogative (demandovorto)
    ti- = demonstrative (montrovorto)
    i- = indefinite (nedifinita vorto)
    ĉi- = universal (tutampleksa vorto)
    neni- = negation (nea vorto)
  • The second part is one of the following:[9]
    -u = individuality (individuo)
    -o[10] = thing (aĵo)
    -a = quality (kvalito, eco)
    -es = possessor (posedo)
    -e = place (loko)
    -am = time (tempo)
    -al = cause (kaŭzo)
    -el = manner (maniero)
    -om = quantity (kvanto)

By combining these two sets, it is possible to form 45 words:


interrogative
demanda
demonstrative
montra
indefinite
nedifina
universal
kolektiva
negative
negativa
individual.
individuo
kiu
who
which
tiu
that one
that
iu
somebody, some
ĉiu
everybody
every, all
neniu
nobody
no, none
thing
neŭtraĵo
kio
what
tio
that thing
io
something
ĉio
everything
nenio
nothing
quality
kvalito
kia
what kind of
tia
that kind of
ia
some kind of
ĉia
every kind of
nenia
no kind of
possession
posedo
kies
whose
ties
that one’s
ies
someone’s
ĉies
everyone’s
nenies
nobody’s
place
loko
kie
where
tie
there
ie
somewhere
ĉie
everywhere
nenie
nowhere
time
tempo
kiam
when
tiam
then
iam
sometime
ĉiam
always
neniam
never
cause
kaŭzo
kial
why
tial
so
ial
for some reas.
ĉial
for every reas.
nenial
for no reas.
manner
maniero
kiel
how
tiel
thus
iel
somehow
ĉiel
in every way
neniel
in no way
quantity
kvanto
kiom
how much
tiom
so much
iom
some
ĉiom
all of it
neniom
no amount

3.6.1.2 Declination of correlatives

Correlatives of individuality (-iu) can form accusative and plural.
Correlatives of things (-io) can form accusative, but normally do not form plural.
Kion tiuj homoj ĉion ne elpensas.What all do the people think out!
Adverbial correlatives of place (-ie) can form accusative to mark direction.
Mi estas tie.I am there.
Mi iras tien.I am going there.
Other adverbial correlatives (time – -am, cause – -al, manner – -el, quantity – -om) and possessive correlatives (-ies) do not decline.

3.6.1.3 Using parts of correlatives in word building

It is not normal to use first or second part of correlative and combine it alone with some root or affix. However there are some exceptions – neni-aĵo, neni-eco, neni-igi, neni-iĝi, ti-aĵo.[11]
Neniaĵonearly nothing, thing with no value
Viaj kontraŭuloj fariĝos neniaĵo kaj pereos.[12]Your enemies will do nearly nothing to themselves and they will perish.
Neniecoquality to be like nothing, nothingness
dezerta regno de la nenieco[13]desert kingdom of nothingness
Neniigidestroy
Mi neniigos vin, kaj vi ne plu ekzistos[14]I will destroy you and you will no more exist.
neniiĝidisappear
Li disneniiĝis kiel fumo.He disappeared like a puff of smoke.
tiaĵothing of that quality (ti-aĵo, from tia and aĵo)
Mi ne ŝatas tiaĵojn.I don’t like things that look, behave, etc like that.

3.6.1.4 Using correlatives in word building

Some correlatives can accept different category endings, some can accept suffixes and some can even form composites with other roots. Very often is the set of possible derived forms restricted to some few traditional forms. I will go through one type of correlatives after another.
Individual – -iu
The individual form can precede virtually any root (see –ia):
tiumomentein that moment, tiunokteduring that night, tiusencein that sense, kiusencein what sense, iusencein some sense, etc.
It is impossible to add any ending or true suffix to it. Of course, it can be declined.
Quality – -ia
The correlatives of quality can be also before nearly any root. The difference usage of -iu and –ia, is implied by their meaning – -iu refers to some concrete thing, occasion, etc., -ia refers to some type, quality or style of thing, occasion, manner etc. Sometimes it is hard to distinguish these two groups.
tiamanierein such manner, tiasencein such sense, tiaspecaof such type, similar, analogous, kiamanierein what manner, how, ĉiamanierein all manner
Place – -ie
It is possible to form adjectives from the correlatives of place (-e), e.g. tiea, ĉiea, etc., with the meaning “finding itself there, everywhere, etc.”[15]. These adjectives are normally declined.
La ĉiea pluvo detruis ĉiuj vojojn.Rain that was everywhere destroyed all roads.
Sometimes, it is also possible to see form tieulothe man from there.
Quantity – -iom
The ordinal form of the correlatives of quantity is created by adding the ending a, e.g.: kioma, tioma.
Sur la kioma etaĝo vi loĝas?On which floor do you live?
It is also possible to diminish or augment the quantity (practically only iom): iomete – a bit of, iomege – some large quantity, iometo – a bit. Some of the numerical suffixes can also be added: kiomoble – how many times, kiomfoje – how often
The forms with adverbial e are only emphasized forms of the original: iome.
Time – -iam
The forms with adjectival ending (-a), e.g. tiama, ĉiama. iama, etc., with meaning “existing in that time, existing always, existing in some time (in the past).
Cause – -ial
The only derived word is kialothe reason, motive.
Manner – -iel
Tiele and iele are emphasized forms of tiel and iel.
The forms with adjectival ending (-a), e.g. tiela, kiela etc. are equivalents to tiamaniera, kiamaniera, etc.
It is also possible to see word *tielmaniere – the official form is tiamaniere or tiumaniere.
Possession – -ies, Thing – -io
I do not know about any derived forms.

[7] Even in many natural languages, one can find some regularity in adverbial and pronominal forms. However, it is never as regular as in Esperanto. See for example pronouns and adverbs in English (Source: J.M.D. Meiklejohn, The English Language - Its grammar, history and literature, 1895):
Pronoun
Place
In
Place
To
Place From
Time
In
Manner
Cause
Wh-o
Whe-re
Whi-ther
Whe-nce
Whe-n
Ho-w
Wh-y
Th-e
The-re
Thi-ther
The-nce
The-n
Th-us
Th-e
He
He-re
Hi-ther
He-nce



[8] There are also unofficial forms with the first part alanother (aliu – somebody else, aliel – in another way, etc.) This set was created by analogy from the word aliaanother. The words derived from the official root and the unofficial set of correlatives have different meaning.
[9] Some of the second parts are same as normal endings, but they have different meaning – ordinary u stands for volitive, ordinary e stands for any adverb, not only for place, ordinary a stands for any adjective, not only for quality. Only o has nearly the same meaning.
[10] This o has nothing to do with the noun ending o, so it is impossible to replace it by apostrophe.
[11] PMEG – http://purl.oclc.org/NET/pmeg/pmeg10/taqord.htm – down
[12] Cited from PMEG, originating from Old Testament translated by L. Zamenhof
[13] Cited from PMEG, originating from Schiller, F.: La Rabistoj, translated by L. Zamenhof
[14] Cited from PMEG, originating from Old Testament translated by L. Zamenhof
[15] PMEG – http://purl.oclc.org/NET/pmeg/pmeg10/el_e.htm, subchapter Vortfarado