Esperanto is the world's most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Created by the Warsaw-based ophthalmologist 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.
The World Esperanto Youth Organization is an organization dedicated to supporting young Esperanto speakers around the world and promote the use of Esperanto. TEJO was founded in 1938 as the Tutmonda Junular-Organizo and took its current name in 1952. In 1956, TEJO became the youth section of the Universal Esperanto Association (UEA). In 1971, the finances and administration of TEJO were fully integrated into those of UEA.
The following Esperanto libraries and collections of works in the Esperanto language are worthy of note:
The Universal Esperanto Association, also known as the World Esperanto Association, is the largest international organization of Esperanto speakers, with 5501 individual members in 121 countries and 9215 through national associations and in official relations with the United Nations. In addition to individual members, 70 national Esperanto organizations are affiliated with UEA. Its current president is the professor Duncan Charters. The magazine Esperanto is the main organ used by UEA to inform its members about everything happening in the Esperanto community.
Tibor Sekelj, also known as Székely Tibor according to Hungarian orthography, was a Hungarian born polyglot, explorer, author, and 'citizen of the world.' In 1986 he was elected a member of the Academy of Esperanto and an honorary member of the World Esperanto Association. Among his novels, travel books and essays, his novella Kumeŭaŭa, la filo de la ĝangalo, a children's book about the life of Brazilian Indians, was translated into seventeen languages, and in 1987 it was voted best Children's book in Japan. In 2011 the European Esperanto Union declared 2012 "The Year of Tibor Sekelj" to honor the 100th anniversary of his birth.
Sennacieca Asocio Tutmonda is an independent worldwide cultural Esperanto association of a general left-wing orientation. Its headquarters are in Paris. According to Jacques Schram, chairman of the Executive Committee, the membership totalled 881 in 2003. In 2006 SAT had 724 members. In 2015-2016 there were 525.
The Centre de documentation et d'étude sur la langue internationale in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, was founded in 1967 by Claude Gacond. It is the main branch of the city's library and contains more than 20,000 bibliographic units. Interlinguistically neutral, CDELI aims to preserve documents in and about all kinds of constructed languages: it offers, in addition to Esperanto books and periodicals, the richest collections of materials about Volapük and Interlingue, among others.
Edmond Privat was a Francophone Swiss Esperantist. A historian, university professor, author, journalist and peace activist, he was a graduate of the University of Geneva and a lecturer for the World Peace Foundation. His collective works consist of original dramas, poems, stories, textbooks and books about the Esperanto movement.
Hector Hodler was a Swiss Esperantist who had a strong influence on the early Esperanto movement.
Montagu Christie Butler was a British academic, librarian, lexicographer, musician, and Esperantist. A winner of several prizes at the Royal Academy of Music in London, he was a harpist and a versatile music teacher skilled in playing various musical instruments, as well as a teacher of voice and of musical composition.
The President of the Universal Esperanto Association is the elected leader of the Universal Esperanto Association and the chief executive of the UEA steering committee (Estraro).
Victor Sadler (1937–2020) was a British-born Dutch Esperantist.
Petro Evstaf'evic Stojan was a Russian esperantist, bibliographer and lexicographer and a member of the Esperanto Language Committee from 1914.
The Center for Research and Documentation on World Language Problems (CRD) is an international research foundation created to study, document, and educate people about language problems, intercultural communication and international relations throughout the world.
Serio Oriento-Okcidento is a publication series initiated by the Universal Esperanto Association, which aims to contribute to the "Program of UNESCO for the study and mutual appreciation of cultures." In the series, particularly important and representative works of world literature are translated into Esperanto. Various publishers have gradually contributed to the Serio, who have published books according to their ability and financial responsibility. The Steering Committee (Estraro) of the UEA approves the work for the Serio according to publisher's proposals, but the UEA has no financial responsibility.
Esperanto is the main magazine used by the Universal Esperanto Association to inform their members of virtually everything happening in the world related to the international language Esperanto.
