The Birth of Esperanto

In 1887, a Polish-Jewish ophthalmologist named L.L. Zamenhof published a book titled Unua Libro, introducing a new language: Esperanto. His goal was to create a politically neutral, easy-to-learn language that would foster international communication and peace. Growing up in Białystok, a multicultural city where ethnic conflicts were common, Zamenhof believed a shared language could break down barriers between different groups.

Esperanto was designed for simplicity, with a completely regular grammar, phonetic spelling, and vocabulary borrowed from European languages. It featured:

• No irregular verbs (unlike English and French)
• A straightforward system of prefixes and suffixes
• A phonetic alphabet with consistent pronunciation

The Rise of Esperanto

Despite being an artificial language, Esperanto gained a surprising number of followers. By the early 20th century, clubs and societies sprang up around the world, from Europe to China. International congresses were held, and even famous figures like Leo Tolstoy and J.R.R. Tolkien expressed interest in the language.

During the interwar period, Esperanto thrived. Some saw it as a potential international lingua franca, especially with the League of Nations considering it as a diplomatic language. However, this never materialized due to opposition from nationalistic governments and political figures.

Political Persecution and Decline

While Esperanto was never an official language, its internationalist ideals made it politically controversial. Authoritarian regimes viewed it with suspicion:

• Nazi Germany labeled Esperanto as part of a Jewish conspiracy and banned it.
• The Soviet Union, after initially supporting Esperanto, later saw it as a threat and executed or imprisoned many Esperanto speakers.
• Franco’s Spain also persecuted Esperanto supporters.

Despite persecution, Esperanto survived, but after World War II, English emerged as the dominant global language, reducing Esperanto’s appeal.

Why Esperanto Didn’t Succeed as a Global Language

Several factors contributed to the decline of Esperanto as a potential world language:

1. Lack of Official Support – No country ever adopted Esperanto as an official language.
2. The Rise of English – After WWII, English became the dominant language in diplomacy, science, and business.
3. Cultural Resistance – Many people preferred to learn widely spoken natural languages like French, Spanish, or English rather than an artificial one.
4. Association with Fringe Movements – Over time, Esperanto became more linked to niche intellectual and utopian movements rather than mainstream society.

Interesting Facts About Esperanto

• It’s still alive! – Although Esperanto never became a universal language, it still has an estimated 100,000 to 2 million speakers today, with several thousand native speakers.
• Google Translate supports Esperanto – In 2012, Google added Esperanto to its translation services.
• Esperanto literature and media – Over 25,000 books have been published in Esperanto, and even Netflix has an Esperanto film (Incubus, starring William Shatner).
• It has its own country (sort of) – Esperanto speakers created Esperantujo, a term for the global Esperanto-speaking community, treating it like a virtual country.
• Duolingo teaches Esperanto – The language-learning app Duolingo has an Esperanto course with over 1 million learners.

While Esperanto never fulfilled Zamenhof’s dream of becoming a global lingua franca, it remains an enduring linguistic experiment. It continues to be spoken, studied, and promoted by enthusiasts worldwide. Whether or not it will ever gain widespread adoption remains uncertain, but its legacy as an ambitious attempt at global communication lives on.