Birth of a Language

Esperanto is a language invented by Dr. L.L. Zamenhof in the late 1800s. It is an artificial or constructed
language as opposed to natural human languages whose vocabulary and grammars developed randomly
over time through custom and usage, rather than a plan. Unlike natural languages, Esperanto's
vocabulary and grammar were planned and created by its inventor and sprang into existence almost fully
formed, rather than taking thousands of years to develop, as in the case of natural languages.

Zamenhof had great hopes for his new language; the name itself, Esperanto, is derived from the word
"hope" in the language. Zamenhof's goal was to bring humanity together through a medium of a common
language that would transcend national rivalries.
Zamenhof's Dream
Zamenhof's plan for Esperanto was born from his experiences as a Jew growing up in what was then the
Russian Empire. The society was deeply divided along ethnic and religious lines. The Germans, Poles,
Jews and Russians in the area where he was born regarded each other as enemies and frequently
clashed with each other. In many ways the ethnic conflicts within the Russian Empire paralleled the
conflicts and wars throughout the world. Zamenhof concluded that "the diversity of languages is the first,
or at least the most influential, basis for the separation of the human family into groups of enemies."

Zamenhof was an eye doctor by profession but had a lifelong passion for learning languages. He spoke
German, Russian, Yiddish, Polish, and some Latin, English and Italian. Even while he concentrated on
his medical studies and practice, Zamenhof dreamed of finding a way to unite humanity. He vowed to find
a way to destroy the evil of sectarian violence and bring mankind together in peace and goodwill.

After many years of work and struggle, Zamenhof published the first Esperanto Grammar, the Unua
Libro ("The First Book").

Advantages of Disadvantages of
Esperanto Esperanto

Standardized Some Esperanto Words

Pronunciation Are Difficult to Pronounce

Grammar and Words

Based Almost Entirely on
Standardized Regular
European Languages So
Grammar
Esperanto is Hard to Learn
for Asians

Fairly Easy to Learn, Regional Accents Based

Especially for Europeans on Native Language of
and English Speakers Esperanto Speaker

Is Neutral Because it Does

Few People You Can
not Belong to Any One
Speak With
Country

Can Facilitate
International Not Used As An Official
Understanding and Language Anywhere
Friendship

Helps You Learn Other

Languages
Initial Success
Esperanto was not the first artificial language, but it was and remains the most successful one in
terms of usage and for having developed an actual culture with original literature and music being
produced using it.
Zamenhof's artificial language was a success almost from the start. Thousands of groups formed
throughout Europe, North America, and other parts of the world. Within a few years, there were
millions of active users. Conventions and gatherings of Esperantists were well attended, and the
language took on a life of its own. People began using it. Books were published in it. It seemed that
Zamenhof's dream was going to come true: Esperanto was on its way to becoming, if not a universal
language, at least a bridge between peoples and cultures.

In fact, the small principality of Neutral Moresnet, between Belgium and Germany almost became
the first country to adopt Esperanto as its official language. Consisting of a multi-ethnic population
and lying between rival empires, the little country viewed the language as a way to be neutral and
neither within the German or French spheres of influence. It was host to a high concentration of
Esperanto speakers and there were talks of making Esperanto the official language.

The Side Effects of War

The optimism for the future of humanity which had given birth to Esperanto was shattered by the two
World Wars. The First World War clearly set the movement back - after all, no amount of
communicating in the artificial language had been able to prevent the bloodbath.

The state of Neutral Monserat was invaded by the Germans and after the war it was annexed by
Belgium and France, ending its independence and its social experiment with Esperanto.

An Esperanto Revival - Sort Of

But nevertheless, Esperanto carried on, rebuilding after the disillusionment of the First World War.

In the 1920s. there was a serious effort to make it the official language of the League of Nations, but
this proposal was vetoed by France. Soviet Russia also promoted it for a time, and it is said that
Stalin actually studied the language.

The use of Esperanto grew, and many publications and newspapers in the language were
established. Some regard the 1920s as a golden age for the language.

Esperanto and the Holocaust

The Esperanto revival that followed World War 1 came to an abrupt end with Hitler's rise to power. In
his book, Mein Kampf, Hitler singled out Esperanto as what he claimed was an international Jewish
conspiracy to take over the world.
The Nazis regarded its speakers as enemies of the state because they were a movement founded
by a Jew and also because they believed in an international confederation of people and races,
which was diametrically opposed to what the National Socialists believed in. And so when Hitler
came to power, Esperantists were some of the first people who were rounded up and killed.

Some of its speakers betrayed the very ideals of the movement by trying to align themselves with
the Nazis and joining in the persecution of the Jews, but they found little favor with the Nazis and
they too were rounded up.
The movement was decimated. Fortunately, Zamenhof did not live to see this disaster. He passed
away in 1917 at the age of 57. He was spared the horror of seeing his movement dismantled by the
Nazis and all of his children put death. His son, a doctor, was removed from his position and shot;
his daughter died in the Treblinka extermination camp. His other daughter also was killed during the
Holocaust.

Esperanto lived on in secret in the concentration camps, where some prisoners taught other
prisoners the language. To hide their activities, they told the guards that they were teaching Italian,
since the two languages sound vaguely similar.
In Soviet Russia, as well, Esperanto came to be regarded as a dangerous foreign influence. Despite
initially promoting the language, Stalin also began persecuting its speakers, who were killed or sent
to the Gulag.

In an ironic twist, Zamenhof's peaceful language was used by the United States army as the fictitious
language of a mock opponent during army training maneuvers

Waning Influence
Esperanto continues to have some success. There are about 2 million people worldwide who speak
it. And it has gained a certain status not afforded to other artificial languages. For example, a
message in Esperanto was included in Voyager's Golden Record, sent out to greet possible
extraterrestrials.

But nothing can disguise the fact that at the current time, English, and not Esperanto, has filled the
role of a nearly universal language. One can find English speakers in the most remote and diverse
parts of the world, whereas Esperantists are few and far between. Each year, there are fewer and
fewer magazines and periodicals published in the language and its annual international gatherings
have been drawing much fewer people than years past.

Sadly, as well, for a language and movement which aims at unity - Esperanto has fragmented into
smaller competing versions or dialects of the language such as Romániço and Ido.

New constructed languages have also sprung up, most notably Interlingua and Lojban. Even
Klingon, a semi-serious attempt at a constructed language has gained adherents and competes with
Esperanto for a place as an auxiliary language.

Esperanto is drifting towards irrelevancy - an interesting linguistic pass time for idealists who hope
for a better world which will never be