Esperanto is the language that set out to change the world. In this episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy dives into the story of L. L. Zamenhof, the Polish doctor who believed a single, neutral, easy-to-learn language could unite humanity. From its bold beginnings in 1887, to its suppression under Hitler and Stalin, to its surprising survival today—Esperanto has lived a remarkable life.Why did this invented language inspire such hope—and such fear? And why does it still attract speakers and learners across the globe, despite never becoming the universal tongue Zamenhof envisioned?This episode explores the fascinating history of constructed languages, the cultural and political movements behind them, and the quirky survival of Esperanto itself.Stay tuned until the end—you’ll walk away with a story worth sharing.Sources:Zamenhof, L. L. (1887). Unua Libro. Warsaw.Forster, P. G. (1982). The Esperanto Movement. Mouton.Lins, U. (2017). Dangerous Language — Esperanto Under Hitler and Stalin. Palgrave Macmillan.Garvía, R. (2015). Esperanto and Its Rivals: The Struggle for an International Language. University of Pennsylvania Press.Okrent, A. (2009). In the Land of Invented Languages. Spiegel & Grau.#Esperanto #LanguageHistory #Linguistics #WorldHistory #DailyFacts #FunFacts #languagesMusic thanks to Zapsplat.

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