The Washington herald., 1910-08-14
ESPERANTO HAS RIVAL
IN IDOISTS' LANGUAGE
Revised Version of ZamenhofS Work Is Shorte,
Than Original LincoLn'S ADDRESS in
Three TONGUES
Three Tongues.

The Esperanto Congress. which opens
this week at Washington. calls general
attention 10 the wonderful progress made
by this new international language.
Nearly forty different nations will be
represented by delegates speaking diff
ferent tongues, and yet capable Of con-
vcrsing with each other on the common
ground OF Esperanto.
The japanese can chat with the Swede
the Frenchman presents a resolution,
which is Seconded by a Russian; Ameri-
cans make objections or amendments
which are seconded by slant-eyed Chi
nese; a Turk gives his reasons for dis
sent. and he is persuaded by an Italian
20 take another view OF the matter. Il
is an antithesis of Babel a linguist clear
ing-house for humanity. and n philolog-
ical free masonry for the world. It's
/ possibilities are as yet unknown, but the
already worldwide interest aroused be-
tokens an eventful future for the
'Lingvo Internacia," which is only about
twenty years old.
Many have been the attempts to form
universal language. "Pasilingua" and
''Volapuk" are prominent examples of
Ambitious attempts In that direction. The
latter, the invention Of Or. Martin
Schleyer, was fairly laughed out of
court for its cruditles. No pure inven-
ton of a language could succeed; II mist
be a complication from many languages.
culling the best from each and dropping
| . 1,a
listing language could be taken as a
whole, as each is loaded with its own
Objectionable features.
"Three Genders on Face"
The plague of gender permeates that
otherwise admirable language. German,
which is so susceptible Of charming ex-
preston and tender sentiment. But the
German. linguistically, is compelled 10
struggle through life with three genders
on his face-his nose feminine, his mouth
masculine. and his eyes neuter.
We all know how Heines lovely
| thought and Goethes sublime concep-
! tons would suffer under any other ar
rangement, but downright business does
not require such cumbersome construc-
| ton, and German as a universal '1ingvo"
won't do; neither will French, whose
| formidable array OF silent letters, intri-
cate pronunciation. and gender complica-
tons are against it. Italian. and espe-
cially Spanish, is better, but their gram
NAUTICAL construction is too much like
Latin. and they are bristling with gram
matical and idiomatic difficulties. English
and Russian each have their strong
points and also their weak ones
English has no impersonal pronoun,
and Russian no subjunctive mood, al
though the latter tongue is capable Of
some of the incest distinctions of the
time and character of an action, but as
a universal tongue il is not to be thought
Of. 1t was Russian. DR.. Zamenhof, who
compiled Esperanto, and it must be said
of him. in justice. that he tOrrows less
from his native tongue than almost any
other. He takes from it the word "vi,
which means you" IN the polite sense;
also 'nepre." which signifies "abso-
lutely," the Russian original being
"nepremeEao" Why didn't he make it
"abso?'
He apparently sought to give his lingvo
an Italian sound and appearance. and
perhaps with good judgment, for there is
no tongue spoken that is more musical
than Italian and none so well adapted to
the use Of the singer
Use I'm Schools.
1t was inevitable that there should srise
some opposition. to Esperanto and that
attempts should be made to improve
upon It. John Barrett. director Of the
Bureau OF American Republics enthusi-
astIcally declared that Esperanto should
be introduced into the public schools Of
America, but Prof Otto Jespersen, an
eminent ltnguist. says Esperanto needs
improvement. His conclusions and those