ESPERANTO.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4392, 20 March 1922, Page 3

ESPERANTO.

international language. (By Literatus.) That increasing recognition is being given to Esperanto is evidenced by the ifact that aa illustrated pamphlet in connection .with the centenary of the independence of Brazil . has been printed in the proposed universal language. A copy of this pamphlet has been received by Mr\ G. Aldridge, of Auckland. Mr. Aldridge also has received a circular from the secretary, of the League of Nations asking for information regarding the progress of the study of Esperanto. It is stated that the second- assembly ctf the League decided to place upon the agenda of the (third assembly the question, of teaching Esperanto ■ hi schools as an auxiliary international language. The above-quoted paragraph appeared in a recent! issue of the “N.Z. Herald,” and is ap indication that the claims of Esperanto as an auxiliary international language are being recognised in the highest, quarters. Note that! I have described k as “auxiliary,” for this it truly is intended to be—a language to be learned in addition to one’s mother tongue, and not for title- purpose of displacing the native speech of apy country. Owing to the marvellous simplicity of schpol children have been taught the language sufficiently within a period of three months to be able to correspond with other school children in many foreign countries. This was demonstrated at Eccles (England), where the results were wy satisfactory. Owing perhaps to the ease of acquirement and the quick progress made, the children loved to learn Esperanto, and high educationists state that by the knowledge of roots gained, and of the laws governing a language, English scholars whp have been taught Esperanto ar;e exceptionally capable at mastering a foreign tongue, such, as French pr German.

The simplicity of) Esperanto is its outstanding characteristic. The grammar, is very easy tp master, and the pronunciation is phonetic, a given combination of letters in a word always having the same sound when pronounced. The letter “a” signifies the adjective— patrai, pattern al; "e” the adverb —patre, paternally ; “i” the infinitive mood —esti, tp be; “o” the noun—patro, father; “u” the imperative mood —faru, do, or “let him do!” (Command or entreaty.) Likewise sex is, denoted in a simple and unmistakable manner by the suffix “in”—viro, man ; virino, woman : bovo, ox; bovino, cow. In all respects Esperanto grammar is as free from complexities as in. the examples given above. -Possibly it may interest readers to be told, briefly, just how the language is formed? . It is a composite tongue composed of roots takep by the authorities (disciples of the inventor, the late Dr. L. L. Zamenhoff, a director of medicine, Warsaw, Poland), from the five principal languages of the earth. Take, for instance, the word “house”; it. is found that in most of fJhe principal languages the 'root is “dom” (domicile, etc). Very well, add the letter «o” to “dom” to. make a noun and we have “domo” or house. The Esperanto prefixes, or suffixes are joined to the root.. Owing tp this composite nature of Esperanto, the language contains thousands of words that an English person would recognise the meaning.of at a glance, because our own language is composite, we having "annexed” words from most other tongues on earth, Esperanto is particularly easy for an Englishspeaking person to learn. Compose an original sentence off-hand, translate it into Esperanto, and see how many words we can recognise ' “Paeroa, on account of its good geographical position, is bound to become the great) commercial centre of the Thames Valley and Hauraki Plains.”

Esperanto translation: "Paeroa, pro gi havas bona geograia pozicio, certo igos la granda komerca centro de la Thames Valley kaj la Hauraki Plains.” There are nipe of those Esperanto words which a person of average education will recognise the meaning of: “Pro,” for, or on account of> as used in ordinary commercial practice ; "havas,” has;, have; •"bona,” good; "Gebgrafla,” geographical; "pozicio,” position ; “certe,” certainly ; "granda,” grand, great; "komerca,” commercial; "centro,” centre.Any number of sentences could be analysed with equally striking results of similarity to English wordsInternational congresses are held in various world-centres every year, and the business of the gatherings, also the social converse, plays of Shakespeare and other great dramatists, are all rendered in Esperanto, and as many as 42 nationalities have been each one understanding the language perfectly, and finding no difficulty whatever in communicating thoughts and comprehending all that was spoken br sung. At many of the leading hotels), railway stations, etc., on the Continent, professional Esperantists are employed. and in many cases the language is taught in the schools. Leaders of the nations realise how much more easily international intercourse would become were one language only used; but no national language can be chosen, on account of international jealousy of the .advantage its adoption would give to the nation now possessing it. Esperanto, being a neutral language, the property cf all, and the only simple and practicable international language ever invented. meets the need af the times. And as conferences between nations are becoming more and more frequent it is very likely that Esperanto will be adopted by the League of Nations as its official language. Thia development is in complete harmony with the ideal of universal peace ; indeed, the adoption of some language as the universal medium

among the nations is one of tlhei measures indispensable for the ultimate bringing in of arbitration in all cases of dispute, the fostering and developing of mutual understanding and. forbearance, and the final abolition of the curse of civilisation—war! I do not say that the language barrier is by any means the only thing that stands in the way of universal peace, hut I do say that it is one of the most' powerful causes of international estrangements.