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L.L. Zamenhof's original dream was that other languages would eventually die out and be replaced by Esperanto I think you're doing him a bit of a disservice he
by technothrasher 7y ago
L.L. Zamenhof's original dream was that other languages would eventually die out and be replaced by Esperanto
I think you're doing him a bit of a disservice here. His idea wasn't to kill other languages at all. He felt that if you only had to learn Esperanto to communicate with the rest of the world, you would, in fact, be able to spend more time enriching your own language. As he wrote in "Unua Libro":
"How different would the case be, had we but two languages to learn; we should know them infinitely better, and the languages themselves would grow richer, and reach a higher degrees of perfection than is found in any of those now existing"
- Mediterraneo10 7y agoThe Unua Libro was written (naturally, as its title shows) early in Zamenhof’s activity. In later years, he went further and further down the path of "all humanity being one" rhetoric.
- n4r9 7y agoInteresting. This seems counter-intuitive for someone who spoke many languages and apparently delighted in their diversity. I also agree with the comment above yours that wanting humanity to "be one" and to be able to communicate universally, is not mutually exclusive with them maintaining their separate languages concurrently. Do you have any suggested sources for me to read about Zamenhof's later views?
- Mediterraneo10 7y agoMy understanding of Zamenhof’s views is based on reading his complete works in the edition prepared by that Japanese Esperantist, which I could do as I was closely involved with an Esperanto library. As this was some years ago and I am no longer involved in Esperanto, I am sorry that I cannot cite a specific passage, but I am quite sure that my claim is correct, and I would urge you to go to those sources.