N.B.--_Laŭ_ is used in such expressions as:--_Laŭlonge_ = Lengthways. _Laŭlarĝe_ = Across, athwart.
Opposition = _In spite of_, _notwithstanding_, _for_, _despite_.
Examples.--_Li sukcesis malgraŭ la malhelpoj_ = He succeeded in spite of the hindrances. _Li faris sian eblon, sed malgraŭ ĉio, li ne sukcesis_ = He did his best (his utmost), but for all that (notwithstanding) he did not succeed (see remarks on _spite_, par. 259 (30)).
Cause = _By_, _by means of_, _with_, _through_.
Examples.--_Ni flaras per la nazo, vidas per la okuloj, kaj aŭdas per la oreloj_ = We smell with the nose, see with the eyes, and hear with the ears. _Li mortigis lin per glavo_ = He killed him with a sword. _Tion mi eksciis per mia frato_ = I learnt that through my brother.
Per, used after a passive verb, denotes the means or instrument; de denotes the agent.
Examples.--_La domo, kiu estas aĉetita de mia patro, estas kovrita per pajla tegmento_ = The house, which was bought by my father, is covered with thatch (a straw roof). _Li tenis lin ĉe la kolo per ambaŭ manoj_ = He was holding him by the neck with both hands. _Li iris el la urbo per_ (or, _laŭ_) _flanka vojeto_ = He went out of the town by a by-path. _Mia onklo ne mortis per natura morto_ = My uncle did not die (by) a natural death. _Per unu vorto_ (or, _unuvorte_), _la ĉambro estis tute bela_ = In a word, the room was quite beautiful.
As a prefix or root-word, _per_ is not much used. _Perlabori_ = To acquire by one's labour, to earn. _Peri_ = To mediate, to interpose.
Po has a distributive sense, and is used generally before numerals (see par. 123). Do not confuse po with por.
Distribution = _At the rate of_, _in the proportion of_, _at_.
Examples.--_Mi aĉetis kvar pomojn po du pencoj_ = I bought four apples at the rate of twopence (each). "_Por du pencoj_" would mean "for twopence" (all four for twopence). _Tiu ĉi libro havas sesdek paĝojn; tial, se mi legos en ĉiu tago po dek kvin paĝoj, mi finos la tutan libron en kvar tagoj_ = This book has 60 pages; therefore, if I (shall) read (in) each day at the rate of 15 pages, I shall finish the whole book in 4 days. _Silko po 5 ŝilingoj por ulno_ = Silk at 5 shillings a (for a) yard (ell).
As a prefix, _Poduone_ = By half, or, by halves. _Pogrande_ = Wholesale.