Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof

Name: The Birth of Esperanto
Author: Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof

Summary

“The Birth of Esperanto”, is a work by Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof. It explores elements such as language, dictionary and grammar.

Quotes from The Birth of Esperanto (Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof)

Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof, The Birth of Esperanto

“ Some forms which had appeared to possess a wealth of advantage proved in practice to be nothing but useless ballast, and on this account I discarded several unnecessary suffixes.
In 1878 it seemed to me that it was sufficient if my language possessed a grammar and a dictionary; its heaviness and want of grace I attributed only to the fact that I did not know the language sufficiently well; but practice ever more and more convinced me that a language requires in addition an indescribable something, a uniting element, giving to it life and a defined and unmistakable spirit. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof, The Birth of Esperanto

“ This fortuitous circumstance determined the direction of my future ambitions, for the inhabitants of Bielstock are of four different nationalities--Russians, Poles, Germans, and Jews--each of which speaks a separate language, and is on bad terms with the others. There, more than anywhere else, an impressionable nature feels the heavy misfortune of diversity of tongues. One is convinced at every step that the diversity of language is the only, or at least the chief, cause which separates the human family and divides it into inimical sections. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof, The Birth of Esperanto

“ I was taught that all men are brothers; meanwhile in the street and at home everything, at every step, compelled me to feel that humanity does not exist, that there are only Russians, Poles, Germans, Jews, etc. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof, The Birth of Esperanto

“ I knew that everyone would say 'Your language will be of no use to me until the world at large accepts it, so I shall make no use of it until everyone else does.' But since the world at large is composed only of its units, my neutral language could have no future until it was of use to each separate unit independently of whether the world at large accepted it or not. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof, The Birth of Esperanto

“ I often made attempts, inventing a profusion of declensions and conjugations, but the language of man, with, as it seemed to me, its endless mass of grammatical forms, its hundreds of thousands of words and ponderous dictionaries, appeared to be such a colossal, and yet tricky, machine that many a time I exclaimed--'Away with dreams! ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof, The Birth of Esperanto

“ I arranged my language after the fashion of such a key, inserting not only the entire dictionary but also the whole grammar in the form of its separate elements. This key, entirely self-contained and alphabetically arranged, enabled anyone of any nationality to understand without further ado a letter written in Esperanto.
I had left the University and begun my medical practice; I began to consider the publication of my labours. I had prepared the manuscript of my first brochure, 'an International Language, by Dr. Esperanto,' and sought out a publisher. ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof, The Birth of Esperanto

“ Under that influence I recommenced my research into language, and discarded the unnecessary forms, and I noticed that the grammar ever and ever melted under my hands, and soon I arrived at a tiny grammar, which, without causing any disadvantage to the language, occupied only a few pages. Then I began to devote myself to my dream more seriously. Still, the giant dictionaries left me no peace of mind.
One day, when I was in the 6th or 7th class at the gymnasium, my attention was, by chance, turned to the sign 'Ŝvejtskaja' (drink-shop) , and close by to the sign 'Konditorskaja' (sweet-shop) . ”

[↩︎]

Source: Wikisource

Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof, The Birth of Esperanto

“ Konunigare so debá."
which being interpreted into English, 'May the enmity of nations fall away, fall away, for the hour is come! All mankind must become as one family.'
On the table, in addition to the grammar and dictionary, lay some translations in the new language. ”

Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof

Summary

Quotes from The Birth of Esperanto (Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof)

Common terms

Similar works

Get perspective with Kwize: daily news enlightened by great literature