Esperanto: Language, Literature, and Community

By Pierre Janton

Book Overview

Esperanto, spoken by thousands of people across the world, is the most successful international language project. In this book, the French linguist and literary critic Pierre Janton describes the history of Esperanto since its invention in nineteenth-century Eastern Europe and offers a comprehensive linguistic description of the language. This book is the best general introduction to Esperanto and its role in the modern world.

Rooted in the populism and internationalism of the late nineteenth century, Esperanto owes its origins in part to western European educational currents and in part to the cultural history of eastern European Jewry. It is a fascinating historical and sociological phenomenon as well as a remarkable linguistic system.

The book contains a survey of today's movement for the promotion of Esperanto as an international language, and a description of the extensive literature in Esperanto, both original and translated. Janton also provides a survey of the other global language projects, explaining why Esperanto has prevailed.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0791412547
• ISBN13: 9780791412541
• Release Date: December 1992
• Publisher: State University of New York Press
• Length: 169 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.9" x 9.0"
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

The best overview of Esperanto in English

A fine contemporary overview of the international language, translated from the original French by H. Tonkin, former president of the Universala Esperanto Asocio (Rotterdam) and updated for American readers.