Wikijunior:Languages/Esperanto

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Contents 1 What writing system(s) does this language use? 2 How many people speak this language? 3 Where is this language spoken? 4 What is the history of this language? 5 Who are some famous authors or poets in this language? 6 What are some basic words in this language that I can learn? 7 What is a simple song/poem/story that I can learn in this language? 7.1 La Espero 7.2 Twinkle, Twinkle

[edit] What writing system(s) does this language use?

Esperanto uses the Latin alphabet, but does not use the letters q, w, x, y in words. Esperanto also has six special letters: ĉ (like ch in chair), ĝ (like j in John), ĥ (sort of a throat-clearing sound, like Spanish j in roja, ch in German Buch or ch in Scottish Loch Ness), ĵ (like s in treasure), ŝ (like sh in fish) and ŭ (like w in now). Because ordinary keyboards don't have these unique letter Esperanto writers have had to become creative in order to use computers. Some Esperanto writers solve this problem by putting an h after after each special letter. However, there are some words with gh in them anyway, so others put x after the letter, so cx or ch would mean the same as ĉ. With x, here is no danger of reading the word wrong since x is normally not used in Esperanto. However, other speakers think that an h looks nicer. The letter j in Esperanto sounds like the y in yes, and c has the sound of ts as is bets.

[edit] How many people speak this language?

The answer is: nobody really knows. There are no exact numbers. It is most likely that there are between 100 thousand and 2 million Esperanto speakers. Most of them have learned to speak it, only about 1000 people speak Esperanto as their native language. A speaker of Esperanto is sometimes called an Esperist or Esperantist.

[edit] Where is this language spoken?

Esperanto is spoken all over the world. Really! But nowhere is it the language of the majority of people. Esperanto speakers live in the same places as speakers of other languages.

[edit] What is the history of this language?

Unlike most other languages, linguists know almost exactly when and where Esperanto started. Esperanto was invented (therefore it is a constructed language) by Jewish Polish eye doctor Eliezer Ludovic Zamenhof. He published the first book about Esperanto in 1887. Originally the language had no name; it was simply called "international language". Esperanto, which means "He who hopes", was a nickname of Zamenhof, but later it became the name of the language itself.

The first world Esperanto conference was held in Boulogne, France, in 1905. Esperanto grew in popularity in the first half of the twentieth century, and there was even talk of it being adopted as the official language of the League of Nations. Many speakers of Esperanto including many members of Zamenhof's family were killed in Nazi death camps during the Second World War.

[edit] Who are some famous authors or poets in this language?

The first author to write in Esperanto was Zamenhof himself.

Other known Esperanto authors are William Auld, Julio Baghy, Kálmán Kalocsay, Mauro Nervi.

[edit] What are some basic words in this language that I can learn?

Greetings	Salutoj
Hello!	Saluton!
Hey!	Sal!
Good morning!	Bonan matenon!
Good day!	Bonan tagon!
Good evening!	Bonan vesperon!
Farewell	Adiaŭ
Bye!	Ĝis!
Goodbye!	Ĝis revido!
See you soon!	Ĝis baldaŭ!
Ĝis poste!
Good night	Bonan nokton!
Basic Phrases	Bazaj Frazoj
Excuse me	Pardonu min
Do you speak English?	Ĉu vi parolas la anglan?
Yes	Jes
No	Ne
Maybe	Eble
Where is the bathroom?	Kie estas la necesejo?
How are you?	Kiel vi?
Good/bad/not bad.	Bone/malbone/ne malbone.
What's Up?	Kio okazas?
Nothing	Nenio
I am going to ...	Mi iras al ...
And you?	Kaj vi?
I like ...	Mi ŝatas ...
I don't like ...	Mi ne ŝatas ...
I would like ...	Mi deziras ...n
I love you.	Mi amas vin.
My name is ...	Mi nomiĝas.../ Mia nomo estas...
I am (a) ...	Mi estas...
I have (a) ...	Mi havas...

You can find more words in this collection of dictionaries

[edit] What is a simple song/poem/story that I can learn in this language?

"La Espero" ("The Hope") is the traditional anthem of Esperanto. It was written by Zamenhof as a poem and later set to music. This is the first verse:

[edit] La Espero

Esperanto	English
En la mondon venis nova sento, tra la mondo iras forta voko; per flugiloj de facila vento nun de loko flugu ĝi al loko Ne al glavo sangon soifanta ĝi la homan tiras familion: al la mond' eterne militanta ĝi promesas sanktan harmonion.	Into the world came a new feeling, through the world goes a powerful call; by means of wings of a gentle wind now let it fly from place to place. Not to the sword thirsting for blood does it draw the human family: to the world eternally fighting it promises sacred harmony.

And so on, and so on...

[edit] Twinkle, Twinkle

Esperanto	English
Brilu, brilu, eta stel', Diamanto en ĉiel'! Diru, kio estas vi, Tiel alta super ni? Brilu, brilu, eta stel', Diamanto en ĉiel'!	Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are! Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky. Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are!

La Espero