page_title: L. L. Zamenhof
section_title: Name discrepancy
hierarchical_section_title: L. L. Zamenhof / Name discrepancy
caption_attribution_description: English: Families Zamenhof and Michaux at the first Esperanto Congress, Boulogne 1905 Esperanto: Familioj Zamenhof kaj Michaux ĉe la 1-a Universala Kongreso de Esperanto en Bulonjo-ĉe-maro en Aŭgusto 1905.
context_page_description: Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof was a Polish ophthalmologist, linguist and the inventor of the international language Esperanto, the most widely used constructed international auxiliary language in the world.
  Zamenhof first developed the language in 1873 while still in school. He grew up fascinated by the idea of a world without war. He believed that this could happen with the help of a new international auxiliary language. The language would be a tool to gather people together through neutral, fair, equitable communication. He successfully formed a community that continues today despite the World Wars of the 20th century. Also, it has developed like other languages, through the interaction and creativity of its users.
  In light of his achievements, and his support of intercultural dialogue, UNESCO selected Zamenhof as one of its eminent personalities of 2017, on the 100th anniversary of his death.
context_section_description: Zamenhof came from and lived a very-much multilingual life. His name is/was variously transliterated, depending on the language:
  English: Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof – /ˈzɑːmɪnhɒf, -nɒv, -nɒf/
  Esperanto: Ludoviko Lazaro Zamenhofo – [ludoˈviko laˈzaro zamenˈhofo]
  French: Louis Lazare Zamenhof
  German: Ludwig "Levi" Lazarus Samenhof
  Hebrew: אליעזר לודוויג זמנהוף – Eliezer Ludwig Zamenhof
  Lithuanian: Liudvikas Lazaris (Leizeris) Zamenhofas
  Polish: Ludwik Łazarz Zamenhof
  Russian: Людвик Лазарь (Лейзер) Маркович Заменгоф – Lyudvik Lazar' (Leyzer) Markovich Zamengof
  Yiddish: לײזער לֵוִי זאַמענהאָף – Leyzer "Levi" Zamenhof
  At his birth Zamenhof was given the Hebrew name Eliezer by his parents, the equivalent of the Latinized Lazarus. However Zamenhof was born under Russian domination, and so his birth certificate records his name as Лейзер Заменго́в Leyzer Zamengov, using the Yiddish form of the forename and a russified version of his surname; many later Russian language documents also include the patronymic Markovich, as is the custom in the language. His family name is of German origin and was originally written Samenhof; the spelling Zamenhof reflects the romanization of the Yiddish spelling זאַמענהאָף, as well as the Esperanto and Polish spellings. (The German letter z is always pronounced [ts], while German s can be pronounced either like [s] or [z].)
  In his adolescence he used both the Yiddish Leyzer and the Russian Lazar.
  While at university, Zamenhof began using the Russian name Lyudovik (also transcribed Ludovic or translated as Ludwig) in place of Lazar, possibly in honor of Francis Lodwick, who in 1652 had published an early conlang proposal. When his brother Leon became a doctor and started signing his name "Dr L. Zamenhof", Zamenhof reclaimed his birth name Lazar and from 1901 signed his name "Dr L. L. Zamenhof" to avoid confusion with his brother. The two L's do not seem to have specifically represented either name, and the order Ludwik Lejzer is a modern convention.
caption: Families Zamenhof and Alfred Michaux [fr] at the first Esperanto Congress, Boulogne 1905
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