La prunto estis la kaŭzo de la konflikto.

Prunto is a noun meaning a loan. It comes from the verb prunti, meaning to lend or to loan.

So:

• prunti = to lend
• prunto = a loan

In this sentence, la prunto means the loan.

La is the definite article, meaning the.

So:

• la prunto = the loan
• la kaŭzo = the cause
• la konflikto = the conflict

Esperanto uses la when something is definite or already known from context, much like English the. In this sentence, all three nouns are treated as specific things.

Estis is the past tense of esti, which means to be.

The forms are:

• estas = is / are / am
• estis = was / were
• estos = will be

So La prunto estis la kaŭzo... means The loan was the cause...

The -n ending usually marks the direct object in Esperanto.

But in this sentence, there is no direct object. The verb is estis (was), which links one noun to another. After esti, Esperanto normally does not use -n on the predicate noun.

So:

• La prunto = subject
• estis = linking verb
• la kaŭzo = predicate noun, not a direct object

That is why it is la kaŭzo, not la kaŭzon.

De often means of and is commonly used to show relationship or possession.

So:

• la kaŭzo de la konflikto = the cause of the conflict

This is the normal Esperanto pattern for the X of Y:

• la pordo de la domo = the door of the house
• la fino de la libro = the end of the book
• la kaŭzo de la konflikto = the cause of the conflict

The basic structure is of the conflict.

In natural English, the whole sentence is usually translated as The loan was the cause of the conflict or The loan caused the conflict.

But grammatically, de here corresponds to of, not for.

Yes, Esperanto word order is fairly flexible, because the grammar is shown mainly by endings and function words rather than strict word position.

For example, these are possible:

• La prunto estis la kaŭzo de la konflikto.
• La kaŭzo de la konflikto estis la prunto.

Both are grammatical. The difference is mostly one of emphasis:

• La prunto... starts by focusing on the loan
• La kaŭzo... starts by focusing on the cause

Yes. Kaŭzo means cause, and it is easy to recognize because it is related in origin to similar words in European languages.

A learner might also notice:

• kaŭzo = cause
• kaŭzi = to cause

So another way to express a similar idea would be:

• La prunto kaŭzis la konflikton. = The loan caused the conflict.

That version uses the verb kaŭzis instead of the noun phrase estis la kaŭzo de.

Here, konflikto is inside the phrase de la konflikto. After the preposition de, the noun normally does not take -n.

So:

• de la konflikto = of the conflict

You would only use -n there in special cases, such as showing direction with certain prepositions, and that does not apply here.

A learner may wonder especially about aŭ.

• kaŭzo is pronounced roughly like KOW-zoh
• aŭ is a diphthong, somewhat like the sound in English cow
• stress in Esperanto is always on the second-to-last syllable

So kaŭ-zo has the stress on kaŭ.

Usually prunto means a loan, that is, the loan as an arrangement or instance of lending.

Depending on context, English may express that in different ways:

• the loan
• the lending
• the borrowed amount

In this sentence, the loan is the most natural translation.

Not in the same structure.

If you want to keep the noun cause, you normally say:

• la kaŭzo de la konflikto

If you want to avoid de, you would usually change the structure and use a verb:

• La prunto kaŭzis la konflikton.

So:

• estis la kaŭzo de = was the cause of
• kaŭzis = caused

Both are correct, but the original sentence uses the noun pattern.