Why do people still study Esperanto?

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Kullman
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Why do people still study Esperanto?

Postby Kullman » Fri Nov 25, 2022 4:34 pm

When I started visiting this forum, I found that there are a lot of people knowing or studying esperanto, a tailor-made language designed in the late XIX century which failed in the mission of providing an easy to learn, universal language to the world.

For me, learning esperanto is like learning klingon or elvish, which are other two made-up languages.

I remember learning some words, when i was a kid, reading a guide my uncle had in his house, merely as a conversational piece, but the desire grow old in a few days.

So, I'm curious. Why do you learn esperanto?
Last edited by Kullman on Sat Nov 26, 2022 1:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Why does people still study Esperanto?

Postby iguanamon » Fri Nov 25, 2022 4:45 pm

I don't learn Esperanto, but why disparage any language, natural or created. People use Esperanto to communicate with each other across various language barriers. If it serves their purpose, and they enjoy it, who am I to say don't learn it?

I've learned Ladino/Djudeo-espanyol, a dying language spoken by around 70,000 people, none of whom are monolingual. There are many more Esperanto-speakers in the world. Even if there weren't a large number of speakers, nobody has to justify their learning of any language to anyone. Here on the forum, we live and let live.
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Re: Why does people still study Esperanto?

Postby rdearman » Fri Nov 25, 2022 5:15 pm

Should be:

Why do people still study Esperanto?

It all comes back to that age-old thing, "Different strokes for different folks". I, for one, cannot understand why anyone would study German. :)

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Re: Why does people still study Esperanto?

Postby Le Baron » Fri Nov 25, 2022 5:22 pm

Kullman wrote:So, I'm curious. Why do you learn esperanto?

Because this bit is false:
Kullman wrote:which failed in the mission of providing an easy to learn, universal language to the world.

It's high time people started donating a fiver to my PayPal each time an Esperanto falsehood is uttered. I need a new indoor heated swimming pool.
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Re: Why does people still study Esperanto?

Postby Le Baron » Fri Nov 25, 2022 5:27 pm

On those grounds you must hate the French...

Oh I forgot, they have a country and no-one 'invented' the language, plus they don't care what random people on the internet think, so they're safe.
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Re: Why does people still study Esperanto?

Postby philomath » Fri Nov 25, 2022 5:31 pm

I didn’t plan on learning Esperanto until I heard about the C1 challenge and study group. Then I decided to give it a shot for the following reasons:

  • It doesn’t take much time to learn, so it won’t distract me from my main target languages.
  • The challenge of reaching C1 so quickly is intriguing and would be impossible to do in another language.
  • It provides an opportunity to meet fellow language enthusiasts, since everyone who learns Esperanto is doing it as a hobby.
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Re: Why does people still study Esperanto?

Postby tungemål » Fri Nov 25, 2022 5:44 pm

Itchy Feet has the best cartoons about Esperanto (and the best cartoons in general):

Image
Image
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Re: Why does people still study Esperanto?

Postby Le Baron » Fri Nov 25, 2022 5:53 pm

Cartoons are the very best bet to release the tension. I've never yet been on a website, social media or in real life where so many people with zero knowledge/experience of a language say mind-blowingly unintelligent and vacuous things about it than with Esperanto.

It seems to be like Shakespeare: everyone has heard the name and mentions 'Yorick', but hardly anyone has read the plays. And yet everyone's an expert.
Last edited by Le Baron on Fri Nov 25, 2022 6:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Why does people still study Esperanto?

Postby Querneus » Fri Nov 25, 2022 5:57 pm

Kullman wrote:For me, learning esperanto is like learning klingon or elvish, which are other two made-up languages.

And people learning Klingon and Elvish seem to have a fair bit of fun when going at it.

I'll never stop being amused by how successful Esperanto has proven to be in China, or so I've heard. Although I wonder about what their Esperanto is actually like. I imagine the influence of their native Chinese must be considerable, unless their English is well-grounded too I suppose (and honestly if they're learning Esperanto they likely know a significant amount of English already too).
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Kullman
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Re: Why does people still study Esperanto?

Postby Kullman » Fri Nov 25, 2022 6:28 pm

10 posts in less than an hour... the post was a good way to shake the cage a bit...

Le Baron wrote:Because this bit is false:
Kullman wrote:which failed in the mission of providing an easy to learn, universal language to the world.


It failed to become universal... if you speak esperanto to someone in the street, what are the odds than that certain person know the language?

Astronomical...
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