The New Student's Reference Work/Esperanto

Esperanto, an artificial language invented by a Russian scholar named Zamenhof and first given to the public in 1887. It is designed to meet the requirements of a universal language. It seems necessary that any language to be universally adopted must be an artificial one, since national jealousy prevents the adoption of a living language, as English or French. A great advantage would necessarily be given to any nation whose language was thus universally adopted. On the other hand, the adoption of a dead language like Latin is out of the question, as it is too difficult for general acquisition. Esperanto is claimed to be very easy to learn for any person familiar with any one of the main European languages, as its vocabulary is made up of only such words as are common, though in varying forms, to the main languages of Europe.