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It didn't. Hundreds of thousands of people around the world use it to communicate across linguistic and cultural barriers. It has more speakers now than ever before in its 120 year history, and a thriving international culture, including music and literature. (An Esperantist poet, William Auld, was even nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature.)

Esperanto hasn't yet attained its goal of being the most widely used second language for international communication, but since its beginnings in the 1880s, it has brought millions of people from different cultures together and enabled them to communicate, share ideas and build friendships and even families. It is the only instance of an artificial language transforming into a truly living language. Given that it started as the pet project of an idealistic schoolboy, I'd hardly call that a failure.

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Success is arguable, and anything can be declared a success if someone wants it to be. That Esperanto has survived is obvious, and as a SECOND language it could be argued with validity that Esperanto has succeeded. Yet, the question asked why Esperanto failed as a UNIVERSAL language. This contributor has met people from many parts of the world, speaking many languages, and he has never met one who claimed to speak Esperanto. Of all the motion pictures ever filmed, this contributor is aware of only one filmed in the language of Esperanto. To become a secondary language for all people in the world, Esperanto still has a long way to go.

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I would add that several of the claims in the original answer seem questionable. For example, what is the evidence that Esperanto has more speakers than ever? According to the Encyclopedia of Associations, the membership of the Universal Esperanto Association is about 20,000, or half its peak membership. Has the number of speakers increased while the number of members declined?

Moreover, it's difficult to imagine a sense in which Esperanto has somehow transformed into a living language while other auxiliary languages have not. Both Interlingua and Ido are used in much the same way as Esperanto. Interlingua has a strong base of speakers, an abundant literature, a radio show, and many prominent writers, such as Giovanni Blandino and prize-winning economist Leland Yeager. At least historically, Ido has been in a similar position, and Volapuk once was as well. Esperanto is one of a few successful auxiliary languages, but it is not the only one.

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What was the Esperanto experiment and why did it fail?

Esperanto was invented as an international auxiliary language, a language that people all over the world could learn to communicate with each other more easily. I wouldn't say that it failed-the language is still used today, and has an estimated 2 million speakers, including hundreds of native speakers!


Is Esperanto the universal language?

Esperanto was created with the goal of becoming a universal second language, but it is not currently recognized as such. It is estimated that there are around 2 million speakers worldwide. While it has a dedicated community, it is not widely used in international communication or official settings.


Is Esperanto the same as Spanish?

No, Esperanto is a constructed language made to be easy to learn and used as a universal second language, whereas Spanish is a natural language spoken primarily in Spain and Latin America. They have different origins, vocabulary, grammar, and usage in the world.


When did universal language start?

The concept of a universal language dates back to ancient times, with historical examples such as Latin and Esperanto. In modern times, efforts towards a global lingua franca have evolved, with English emerging as the most widely used universal language due to its prevalence in business, technology, and diplomacy.


What language is saluton?

Saluton is a word in the Esperanto language, which means "hello" in English. Esperanto is a constructed language created to promote international communication and understanding.

Related Questions

What was the Esperanto experiment and why did it fail?

Esperanto was invented as an international auxiliary language, a language that people all over the world could learn to communicate with each other more easily. I wouldn't say that it failed-the language is still used today, and has an estimated 2 million speakers, including hundreds of native speakers!


Is Esperanto the universal language?

Esperanto was created with the goal of becoming a universal second language, but it is not currently recognized as such. It is estimated that there are around 2 million speakers worldwide. While it has a dedicated community, it is not widely used in international communication or official settings.


What has the author Helmut Welger written?

Helmut Welger has written: 'Kosmopolitischer Humanismus (Homaranismo)' -- subject(s): Esperanto, Humanism, Language and culture, Language, Universal, Universal Language


What are the Esperanto words for pass and fail?

The Esperanto words for pass and fail are pasas and malsukcesi.


Is Esperanto the same as Spanish?

No, Esperanto is a constructed language made to be easy to learn and used as a universal second language, whereas Spanish is a natural language spoken primarily in Spain and Latin America. They have different origins, vocabulary, grammar, and usage in the world.


When did universal language start?

The concept of a universal language dates back to ancient times, with historical examples such as Latin and Esperanto. In modern times, efforts towards a global lingua franca have evolved, with English emerging as the most widely used universal language due to its prevalence in business, technology, and diplomacy.


What language is saluton?

Saluton is a word in the Esperanto language, which means "hello" in English. Esperanto is a constructed language created to promote international communication and understanding.


What was the purpose of esperanto?

Esperanto was created by Ludwik Zamenhof in the late 19th century as a universal second language to promote peace and understanding among people of different linguistic backgrounds. Its purpose was to facilitate communication and cultural exchange on an international level, with the hope of transcending language barriers.


Why was Esperanto invented?

Esperanto was invented in the late 19th century by L. L. Zamenhof as a universal second language to promote peace and understanding between people of different linguistic backgrounds. Zamenhof believed that a shared language could help bridge cultural divides and facilitate communication among speakers of different native languages.


Which laboratory created international language with few grammatical rules?

The laboratory that created an international language with few grammatical rules is the Universal Esperanto Association. Esperanto, the language created by this association, is designed to be easy to learn and to promote communication and understanding between people of different languages and cultures.


What is language of Katrina?

esperanto


What artificial language was invented by a Jewish eye doctor?

Dr. Ludwik Łazarz Zamenhof invented Esperanto.