Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-08-13
A KEY LANGUAGE.
More About Esperanto, by an En-
thusiast.
Through tho Persistence Of DR.. Zamcn-
hof, It's inventor, Esperanto Il Al
ready spoken ny Eighty Thous.
and Persons.


Esperanto! once moro. what ts Esner-
ranto? Esperanto is the name of the
new kew language; not new universal
language, but a key language which will
enable all those who use other languages
to understand each other by the exercise
of an irrcduciblc minimum of study and
labor. And Or. Iamenhof. who is me-
He liz n doctor Of medicine in Poland,
who Is the inventor of Esperanto. and
his story is \ real romance. Imagine
dreamy, idoalistic child of ten, n native
OF "A Polish village short distance from
Warsaw. and the abode Of four nation
aites living in different quarters of the
town, and each rs exclusive as English.
French. Jews. Turks and herctics used
to be, and who therefore fought when
ever there was chance
Young Zamenhof mingled with them
all. and, being much troubled with their
quarrels. thought II they only spoke the
same tongue they would begin to recog-
MIC that they were ut least all human
beings. So he dreamed of a common
language at night. and by day talked OF
1t to his schoolfellows, until "A little knot
of boys took him for leader, and made
his aim their own. But what was the
language to be? Well, the boys learned
Latin, French and German in the course
of their school life. and Iamcnhof no
tlccd that IN all these LANGUAGES tnerc
were some words somewhat a1ke' ana
MANY that could he dispensed with lheh
ne entered the hfth class OF the gym
nasium' began the study OF Engiish, ana
was at once attracted by the simplicity
Of its grammar Thus he passed his
school days, always adding to his ideas
of how a language might he formed.
,o, ,,,,,,pr
'ANi \
For example: One day. passing some
shops. he noticed on the signbbards
words which in the equivalent English
would mean "Eootmaker." "Watchmak-
or" and instantly came the thought
that one afx would he sufficient to
nivo the idea of an occupation Another
time the uselcssness of two different
words for male and female, such as cock
and hen, struck him. All this while he
and his Young friends were planning.
discussing. getting laughed at and So
on, until in the year 1875. the language
was formed and the Young collegians
gathered together and had a supper to
celebrate it, But from this time a
shadow falls on the scene; the youths
all went their different WAYS in the
world. Zanonhof had to begin his u,cdi-
cal studies and i'm the new surroundings
found himself entirely alone Thus
thrown upon himself he kent quiet for
somo wears until his medical examina-
ron passed. he commenced to practice.
Meantime "Volapuk" had been an
nounced TO the world and Or. Zamenhof
nut off the Introduction of his own Ian
g,Iage. supposinr that his aim had baen
reac hed hv others Volapuk. however
provod a failure being both cuuhnr-
some and inelastic
The doctor had now accumulated y
little money. and finding no pubIshel
willing to print his grammar. he nub-
Nshed il at his own cost and II was
soon translated into several languages
During this period the French professor
NJ dc Beaufront had also formed a
language called L'Adiuvanto He saw
Or. Zamehof's little treatise. realized Al
! once that Esperanto was n creation nj
genius, and communicated with DR.
| Lamenhof. From that time Esnoranto
| with continual ms and downs has stead.
ilv progressed. Dr. Zamonhof and NJ do
Beaufront working hand I'm hand he.
| longing TO those workers who have NO
leisure and vet contrivc ia ,o moro oxtru
work than leisured peonlo rom are
| poor. and vet between them thev have
| expended MANY thousands Of no,,rds Il,
| the proDapation of an idea which tb,,
are convinced win he useful 10 rho yorld
at large To-day with nrecario,,s booitt
and lessonine means thov 1ool, ou c,iti
| reioicing AT Tho succoss 80 thni.. I,I,,na
| For Eenora,ato il ,lro.d,. snnl,nn -,
| so nc reonIa al loost and tra,.n1ars h,
noon ablo TN io,,rro,. ,, o,r.
| siberia +brouob tIiriand $50, -.
France Cormanv and pnesia doino h,,si
ness as they nossod win Esner,ntis,s q,