Ludoviko Lazaro Zamenhof

Esperanto is recognised globally as the most widely used constructed language, envisioned as a universal means of international communication. It was introduced in 1887 by L. L. Zamenhof, who published the foundational text under the pen name Doktoro Esperanto, detailing his "International Language." The name itself, meaning "one who hopes," was enthusiastically adopted by early speakers for the language. Esperanto sits between languages that mimic existing ones and those with entirely novel structures. Its linguistic foundations are drawn mostly from Indo-European languages, with around 80% of its vocabulary originating from Romance languages, complemented by Germanic, Greek, and Slavic influences. A key characteristic is its flexible word-building system, allowing extensive use of prefixes and suffixes with roots to convey meaning efficiently with a limited vocabulary.