Esperanto. (7)

Mr. TOWNER. Take the illustration you have just used. We say "The sewing
is beautiful." and "We find her sewing assiduously." Now, we use the
same word, but the formation of the sentence determines whether or not
it is a noun or a verb.

Prof. CHRISTEN. You mean the distinction between the participle and the
noun?

Mr. TOWNER. Yes.

Prof. CHRISTEN. With your permission I will not answer that
particularly, but will deal with the whole subject. I want to say that
from every root you form four words, the four principal parts of speech.
And the first thing to remember is this positive stroke of genius--that
every noun ends with "o," every adjective with "a," every derived adverb
with "e," and every infinitive with "i."

Mr. TOWNER. How would you carry that to proper names?

Prof. CHRISTEN. London would be Londono; Robert is Roberto, but proper
names you are at liberty to do with as you please; give them the
Esperanto ending or leave them in the original form.

Mr. TOWNER. What about Washington?

Prof. CHRISTEN. Washingtono.

Mr. TOWNER. I mean, you would really change it?