L. L. Zamenhof

**Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof** (; , ;  – ), credited as **L. L. Zamenhof** and sometimes as the pseudonymous **Dr. Esperanto**, was an eye doctor, linguist (who creates a language), and scholar who created the international language Esperanto.

## Biography

Zamenhof was born in 1859 in the town of Białystok, Poland. At the time, Poland was a part of the Russian Empire. Bialystok contained three major groups: Poles, Belorussians, and Yiddish-speaking Jews. Zamenhof thought that one common language would join these groups and stop fights between them.

His first language was said to be Polish. His parents spoke Russian and Yiddish at home. His father was a German teacher, so Zamenhof learned that language from an early age and spoke the language fluently. Later he learned French, Latin, Greek, Hebrew and English. He also had an interest in Italian, Spanish and Lithuanian.

Zamenhof decided that the international language must have a simple grammar and be easier to learn than Volapük, an earlier international language. He attempted to create the international language with a grammar that was rich, and complex. The basics of Esperanto were published in 1887. He translated the Hebrew Bible into Esperanto.

His grandson, Louis-Christophe Zaleski-Zamenhof, was an engineer.

He was 14 times nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize between 1907 and 1917.

### Original works

- _Unua Libro_, 1887 (_First Book_)
- _Dua Libro_, 1888 (_Second Book_)
- _Hilelismo – propono pri solvo de la hebrea demando_ , 1901 (_Hillelism: A Project in Response to the Jewish Question_)
- _Esenco kaj estonteco de la ideo de lingvo internacia_ , 1903 (_Essence and Future of the Idea of an International Language_)
- _Fundamenta Krestomatio de la Lingvo Esperanto_ , 1903 (_Basic Anthology of the Esperanto Language_)
- _Fundamento de Esperanto_, 1905 (_Foundation of Esperanto_)
- Declaration of Boulogne, 1905
- _Homaranismo_ , 1913 (_Humanitism_)

#### Periodicals

- _La Esperantisto_, 1889–1895 (_The Esperantist_)
- _Lingvo Internacia_, 1895–1914 (_International Language_)
- _La Revuo_, 1906–1914 (_The Review_)

#### Poems

- "Al la fratoj" ("To the Brothers")
- "Ho, mia kor'" ("Oh, My Heart")
- "La Espero" ("The Hope")
- "La vojo" ("The Way")
- "Mia penso" ("My Thought")

### Translations

- _Hamleto, Reĝido de Danujo_ , 1894 (_Hamlet, Prince of Denmark_, by William Shakespeare)
- _La batalo de l' vivo_  (_The Battle of Life_, by Charles Dickens)
- _La revizoro_, 1907 (_The Government Inspector_, by Nikolai Gogol)
- _La Predikanto_, 1907 (translation of Ecclesiastes)
- _La Psalmaro_, 1908 (translation of the book of Psalms)
- _La rabistoj_ , 1908 (_The Robbers_, by Friedrich Schiller)
- _Ifigenio en Taŭrido_ , 1908 (_Iphigenia in Tauris_, by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)
- _La Rabeno de Baĥaraĥ_, 1909 ("The Rabbi of Bacharach", by Heinrich Heine)
- _La Gimnazio_, 1909 ("The High School", by Scholem Aleichem)
- _Marta_ , 1910 (_Marta_, by Eliza Orzeszkowa)
- _Genezo_, 1911 (translation of the Book of Genesis)
- _Eliro_, 1912 (translation of the Book of Exodus)
- _Levidoj_, 1912 (translation of the Book of Leviticus)
- _Nombroj_, 1914 (translation of the Book of Numbers)
- _Readmono_, 1914 (translation of the Book of Deuteronomy)
- _Malnova Testamento_ (parts of the Old Testament)

## Infobox (writer)

- **embed**: yes
- **pseudonym**: Dr. Esperanto


## Infobox (person)

- **name**: L. L. Zamenhof
- **image**: Zamenhof portreto.jpg
- **caption**: Zamenhof,
- **birth name**: Leyzer Zamengov
- **birth place**: Belostok, Grodno Governorate, Russian Empire
(now Białystok, Poland)
- **death date**: (aged )
- **death place**: Warsaw, Kingdom of Poland (1917–1918), Kingdom of Poland
- **burial place**: Jewish Cemetery, Warsaw
- **occupation**: Ophthalmologist
- **known for**: Esperanto
- **children**: Adam Zamenhof, Adam, Zofia Zamenhof, Zofia, and Lidia Zamenhof, Lidia
- **awards**:  Legion of Honour - Officer (1905)
- **signature**: Originala Verkaro-L L Zamenhof signature.svg