Esperanto: The Development of an International Language

1982 Words4 Pages

According to the Bible:

…The whole world had one language and a common speech…Then they said, ‘come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth. (Gen. 11.1, 4)

It was at the tower of Babel that the linguistic nations were born, for it was there that all shared a single language, until God stepped into their united project “to reach the heavens” and confused their communications (Gen. 11.5-9). For years, the world, separated by barriers such as mountains, oceans, and states, has developed and used thousands of diverse languages. As trade, travel, and international relationships have increased throughout the years, so has the need for a universal language.

According to Peter G. Forster, “The earliest known philosophical statement on the subject of universal language appears to be that of René Descartes. This appears in a letter dated 20 November 1629, written to Father Mersenne” (41). Since that time, there have been about five hundred known attempts to create an international language. Interestingly, nearly all the serious attempts occurred in the closing years of the 19th century. One language introduced during the 19th century, Esperanto, has survived and, notwithstanding great traumas, is today alive and well (Enderby 68). Through exploration of Esperanto’s creator, its history, its struggles, and its present-day developments, it is obvious that Esperanto is an educational inclination toward the progress of international communication. Esperanto has undoubtedly acquired both the largest following and the most extensive development as a language (Forster 41).

Ludwig Lazar Zamenhof was...

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...ww.lodestone.org/hoss/esperanto/intro.html.

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