Book contents
- Conversations on Dictionaries
- Conversations on Dictionaries
- Copyright page
- Epigraph
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Contributors
- Introduction
- 1Ancient Greek
- 2Esperanto
- 3German
- 4Chinese
- 5Hybrid Languages
- 6English
- 7French
- 8Italian
- 9Arabic
- 10Hebrew
- 11Indigenous Languages
- 12Irish
- 13African Languages
- 14Nahuatl
- 15Yiddish
- 16Portuguese
- 17Japanese
- 18Russian
- 19Quechua
- 20Scandinavian
- 21Spanish
- Epilogue
- Index
- References
2 - Esperanto
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 December 2025
Edited by
Book contents
- Conversations on Dictionaries
- Conversations on Dictionaries
- Copyright page
- Epigraph
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Contributors
- Introduction
- 1Ancient Greek
- 2Esperanto
- 3German
- 4Chinese
- 5Hybrid Languages
- 6English
- 7French
- 8Italian
- 9Arabic
- 10Hebrew
- 11Indigenous Languages
- 12Irish
- 13African Languages
- 14Nahuatl
- 15Yiddish
- 16Portuguese
- 17Japanese
- 18Russian
- 19Quechua
- 20Scandinavian
- 21Spanish
- Epilogue
- Index
- References
Summary
Esperanto was created in the nineteenth century by the Warsaw-based ophthalmologist L. L. Zamenhof (1859–1917) as a universal second language; he called it Lingvo Internacia, the international language, hoping that it would foster global peace and understanding. Esperanto isn’t the only constructed language, but it is the most popular; it is also the one with the richest cultural legacy and a complex history of dictionaries. Offering a comparative analysis of the dictionary tradition of Esperanto, this conversation compares that tradition to other languages. Ludovik Zamenhof is discussed as the seminal figure in that tradition. It looks at translation as a force changing Esperanto, reflects on the tension between particularism and universalism, and questions Esperanto’s Eurocentrism. It meditates on how the internet has changed Esperanto lexicography. Finally, it explores canonical lexicons such as the Baza Radikaro Oficiala, published under the aegis of the Academy of Esperanto, as well as the Plena Vortaro de Esperanto, released by the Sennacieca Asocio Tutmonda, as well as Kazimierz Bein’s Vortaro de Esperanto, and the Plena Ilustrita Vortaro.
Keywords
Information
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Conversations on DictionariesThe Universe in a Book, pp. 16 - 27Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2025
References
Suggested Readings
Benson, Peter. Comprehensive English-Esperanto Dictionary. El Cerrito, CA: Esperanto League for North America, 1995.Google Scholar
Boulton, Marjorie. Zamenhof: Creator of Esperanto. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1960.Google Scholar
Grosjean-Maupin, Émile. Plena Vortaro de Esperanto. Paris: Sennacieca Asocio Tutmonda, 1930.Google Scholar
Janton, Pierre. Esperanto: Language, Literature and Community. Edited by Tonkin, Humphrey. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1993.Google Scholar
Lapenna, Ivo. Esperanto en Perspektivo: Faktoj kaj Analizoj pri la Internacia Lingvo. Rotterdam: Universala Esperanto-Asocio, 1974.Google Scholar
Lins, Ulrich. Dangerous Language: Esperanto under Hitler and Stalin. 2 vols. Translated by Tonkin, Humphrey. New York: Palgrave, 2020.Google Scholar
Okrent, Arika. In the Land of Invented Languages: Esperanto Rock Stars, Klingon Poets, Loglan Lovers, and the Mad Dreamers Who Tried to Build a Perfect Language. New York: Spiegel and Grau, 2009.Google Scholar
Reta Vortaro (ReVo). www.reta-vortaro.de/revo/dlg/index-2l.html. Crowd-sourced.Google Scholar
Richardson, David. Esperanto: Learning and Using the International Language. Eastsound, WA: Esperanto League for North America, 1988.Google Scholar
Schor, Esther. Bridge of Words: Esperanto and the Dream of a Universal Language. New York: Metropolitan Books, 2016.Google Scholar
Sutton, Geoffrey. Concise Encyclopedia of the Original Literature of Esperanto. New York: Mondial, 2008.Google Scholar
Tonkin, Humphrey. Esperanto, Interlinguistics, and Planned Language. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1997.Google Scholar
Waringhien, Gaston. Plena Ilustrita Vortaro de Esperanto. Paris: Sennacieca Asocio Tutmonda, 1970. (Waringhien, Gaston and Levereaud, Roland eds., Supplement, 1987; Roux, Claude and Duc-Goninaz, Michel, eds., PIV 2020.)Google Scholar
Wennergren, Bertilo. Kritikaj Notoj pri la Plena Ilustrita Vortaro 2002 kaj 2005. https://bertilow.com/piv/index.htmlGoogle Scholar
Zamenhof, Ludovik Lazarus. Doctor Esperanto’s International Language. Translated by Geohegan, R. H., 1889; edited by Keys, Gene, 2000; online version, 2006. www.genekeyes.com/Dr_Esperanto.htmlGoogle Scholar
Zamenhof, L. L. Esperanto: Universala Vortaro de la Lingvo Internacia. Warsaw: Gins, 1894.Google Scholar
Zamenhof, L. L. Fundamento de Esperanto: Gramatiko, Ezercaro, Universala Vortaro. Paris: Hachette, 1905.Google Scholar
Accessibility standard: WCAG 2.2 AAA
Why this information is here
This section outlines the accessibility features of this content - including support for screen readers, full keyboard navigation and high-contrast display options. This may not be relevant for you.Accessibility Information
The HTML of this chapter complies with version 2.2 of the
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
(WCAG), offering more comprehensive accessibility measures for a broad range
of users and attains the highest
(AAA)
level of WCAG compliance, optimising the user experience by meeting the most extensive
accessibility guidelines.
Content Navigation
Table of contents navigation
Allows you to navigate directly to chapters, sections, or non‐text items through a linked table of contents, reducing the need for extensive scrolling.
Allows you to navigate directly to chapters, sections, or non‐text items through a linked table of contents, reducing the need for extensive scrolling.
Index navigation
Provides an interactive index, letting you go straight to where a term or subject appears in the text without manual searching.
Provides an interactive index, letting you go straight to where a term or subject appears in the text without manual searching.
Reading Order & Textual Equivalents
Single logical reading order
You will encounter all content (including footnotes, captions, etc.) in a clear, sequential flow, making it easier to follow with assistive tools like screen readers.
You will encounter all content (including footnotes, captions, etc.) in a clear, sequential flow, making it easier to follow with assistive tools like screen readers.
Short alternative textual descriptions
You get concise descriptions (for images, charts, or media clips), ensuring you do not miss crucial information when visual or audio elements are not accessible.
You get concise descriptions (for images, charts, or media clips), ensuring you do not miss crucial information when visual or audio elements are not accessible.
Visual Accessibility
Use of colour is not sole means of conveying information
You will still understand key ideas or prompts without relying solely on colour, which is especially helpful if you have colour vision deficiencies.
You will still understand key ideas or prompts without relying solely on colour, which is especially helpful if you have colour vision deficiencies.
Use of high contrast between text and background colour
You benefit from high‐contrast text, which improves legibility if you have low vision or if you are reading in less‐than‐ideal lighting conditions.
You benefit from high‐contrast text, which improves legibility if you have low vision or if you are reading in less‐than‐ideal lighting conditions.