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Esperanto was constructed in Poland by L. L. Zamenhof. It maintained a notable presence in Poland until the Occupation of Poland during World War II and the subsequent Communist rule resulted in the persecution of Esperantists.
Esperanto was primarily constructed from Romance languages, but some words in Esperanto were derived from Polish. These include pilko from the Polish piłka to mean "ball", luti from the Polish lutować to mean "to solder", and ŝelko from the Polish szelki to mean "suspenders". Zamenhof also borrowed from the Polish language's system of honorifics to use the word moŝto as an address to a king, derived from the Polish mość. All of the sounds used in Esperanto are also found in Polish. [1] The name of Poland in Esperanto is Pollando, derived from the English name of Poland.[ citation needed ]
The Esperanto language was constructed in Poland by ophthalmologist L. L. Zamenhof and published in Unua Libro in 1887. Zamenhof's creation of the language was influenced by Poland's political status at the time, having been partitioned between the major east European powers. [2] Polish ophthalmologist Kazimierz Bein was an early Esperanto writer and an advocate of an international league for Esperanto, believing that it would not be persecuted so long as it was not conflated with socialism. [3] Esperanto was often associated with Judaism, and antisemitism led to distrust against Esperantists in Poland. [4] Stanisław Zygmunt Braun and Stanisław Karolczyk founded the Polish Esperanto Association in Łódź. [5] Julian Tuwim was a Polish poet that translated many works to Esperanto. [6] Eugeniusz Matkowski was a Polish violinist that learned Esperanto in 1932 and began writing Esperanto poetry. [7]
Following the invasion of Poland in 1939, Esperantists were persecuted by the Nazis, and in many cases people were killed because they were advocates of Esperanto. [8] Zamenhof's children and grandchildren were specifically targeted by the Nazis due to their connection to the Esperanto movement as well as for their Jewish ancestry. [9] By the end of the Nazi occupation, Esperanto no longer had a significant presence in Poland, and the subsequent Soviet occupation ensured that it was not revived. [10] Esperanto radio broadcasts ended in 1950, and most Esperanto groups were shut down. The Association of Esperantists in Poland continued to exist, and it published the Tra la Mondo kaj Literaturo newsletter. [11] The Esperanto movement was revived in Poland along with other Communist states in 1955. [12] In the 1980s, Esperanto groups in Poland held democratic elections to determine their leadership, preceding the liberalization of the country. [13]
In 2017, Zamenhof's hometown of Białystok declined to commemorate the 100th anniversary of his death. [14]
In 1928, there were 4,690 recorded Esperantists in Poland. [15] In 1964, there were 3,493 Esperantists that were members of Esperanto groups in the country. [16]
Esperanto is the world's most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Created by L. L. Zamenhof in 1887, it is intended to be a universal second language for international communication, or "the international language". Zamenhof first described the language in Dr. Esperanto's International Language, which he published under the pseudonym Doktoro Esperanto. Early adopters of the language liked the name Esperanto and soon used it to describe his language. The word esperanto translates into English as "one who hopes".
Esperantujo or Esperantio is the community of speakers of the Esperanto language and their culture, as well as the places and institutions where the language is used. The term is used "as if it were a country."
L. L. Zamenhof developed Esperanto in the 1870s and '80s. Unua Libro, the first print discussion of the language, appeared in 1887. The number of Esperanto speakers have increased gradually since then, without much support from governments and international organizations. Its use has, in some instances, been outlawed or otherwise suppressed.
L. L. Zamenhof was the creator of Esperanto, the most widely used constructed international auxiliary language.
Zamenhof Day, also called Esperanto Book Day, is celebrated on 15 December, the birthday of Esperanto creator L. L. Zamenhof. It is the most widely celebrated day in Esperanto culture. On this day, Esperantists hold information sessions and cultural gatherings to promote literature in Esperanto.
Kazimierz Bein, often referred to by his pseudonym Kabe, was a Polish ophthalmologist, the founder and sometime director of the Warsaw Ophthalmic Institute.
Fundamento de Esperanto is a 1905 book by L. L. Zamenhof, in which the author explains the basic grammar rules and vocabulary that constitute the basis of the constructed language Esperanto. On August 9, 1905, it was made the only obligatory authority over the language by the Declaration of Boulogne at the first World Esperanto Congress. Much of the content of the book is a reproduction of content from Zamenhof's earlier works, particularly Unua Libro.
Lidia Zamenhof was a Jewish Polish writer, publisher, translator and the youngest daughter of Klara (Silbernik) and L. L. Zamenhof, the creator of Esperanto. She was an active promoter of Esperanto as well as of Homaranismo, a form of religious humanism first defined by her father.
Louis-Christophe Zaleski-Zamenhof was a Polish-born French civil and marine engineer, specializing in the design of structural steel and concrete construction. He was a grandson of the Polish Jewish L. L. Zamenhof, the inventor of the international auxiliary language Esperanto. From the 1960s until his death, Zaleski-Zamenhof lived in France.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Esperanto:
Esperanto was variously endorsed and oppressed in the Soviet Union throughout its history. The language was permitted by the government in the 1920s, but its internationalist nature brought it under scrutiny in the 1930s and Joseph Stalin enforced measures against the Esperanto community, having Esperanto speakers imprisoned and killed as part of the Great Purge. The Esperanto community was restored in the Soviet Union following the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953, but it did not achieve its earlier prominence.
Esperanto has been used in Hungary since its construction in the late-19th century. It saw notable use through the 20th century, though it was suppressed by Nazi and Communist governments in the 1940s and 1950s.
Austria has been the home of Esperanto speakers for most of the language's history. Esperantists were persecuted by the Nazis during the annexation of Austria in the 1930s. The President of Austria from 1965 to 1974, Franz Jonas, was an Esperantist. The Esperanto Museum and Collection of Planned Languages is located in Vienna.
Ernest Karlovich Drezen was a Soviet Esperantist and engineer. He was the leader of the Soviet Esperantist Union (SEU). Drezen was arrested and killed during the Great Purge in the 1930s.
Esperanto has been used in the Czech Republic since the 19th century. It was suppressed by the Nazi and Communist governments of the 20th century before being revived in 1969. The Czech Republic is home to the Esperanto Museum in Svitavy.
Esperanto has been used in Slovakia since the 19th century. The Slovak Esperanto movement was suppressed by Nazi and Communist regimes in the 20th century before being restored in 1969. Slovakia is home to the Summer Esperanto Study and the Conference on the Application of Esperanto in Science and Technology.
Esperanto is a minor language in Romania.
Esperanto is a minor language in Bulgaria. It first arrived in Bulgaria in the late 19th-century. It was suppressed by the Nazi government in the 1940s and the Communist government in the 1950s.
Abram Antoni Kofman, also known as Abraham S. Kofman, was a Russian-Jewish accountant, and poet and translator in several constructed languages. From Odesa, Russian Empire, Kofman learned Esperanto in 1889 and was an early supporter of the language's adoption. He was one of the first Russian Jews to write poetry in Esperanto and has been described by several as a "pioneer". His work appeared in several Esperanto-language magazines and early anthologies, including the Fundamenta Krestomatio. He was the translator of several sections of the Hebrew Bible in both Esperanto and its daughter language, Ido. He was the first Ancient Greek–Esperanto translator, producing a rendition of parts of the Iliad starting in 1895.
