Esperantist

A esperantist is " someone who can speak Esperanto ".

History and Definition

Very soon after the publication of the planned language Esperanto by Ludwik Zamenhof Lejzer in 1887 began their followers to call themselves Esperanto. That was the name first appearing in 1889 Esperanto magazine La Esperantisto ( The German esperantist ). In an agreed at the first World Congress of Esperanto in 1905 in Boulogne -sur -Mer Declaration, the word is defined as follows:

In addition, language founder Zamenhof Esperanto but also an "internal idea" ( interna ideo) connected. To this end, he said at the 8th World Congress of Esperanto in 1912 in Krakow:

" The inner idea of Esperanto - which is in no way binding on the individual Esperanto, but, as you know, there Esperanto congresses and must always prevail - is to break down on a neutral linguistic basis, the walls between nations and people used to the fact that each of them may view his neighbor as a man and brother. "

This idea of ​​international feels, in fact, to this day the majority of Esperanto speakers connected.

Not all who speak Esperanto, pleases the word " esperantist ". The ending- is suggesting that it was a follower of a certain ideology, a certain culture or language policy aspiration. Therefore, the alternative term " Esperanto speakers " (Esperanto - parolanto ) come up that avoids this connotation and with the express only the membership of the Esperanto - speaking community is called.

See also the section in the article Esperanto speech community with information on the dissemination and use of the language as well as to Esperanto as a (second ) language.

Other definitions

Sometimes be - called Esperanto, individuals who support the idea of the international language Esperanto ideal, but without talking himself - in expanding definition. On the other hand, a narrower definition limited the term " esperantist " on those Esperanto speakers who are actively committed to the spread of the language.