Esperantic Studies Foundation (ESF) was established in 1968 as a vehicle for promoting scholarly research and dialogue on issues concerned with world language problems and language policy and planning. It works to promote the understanding and implementation of linguistic justice in a multicultural world through three priority areas: Research, Conservation and Education, supported by a system of grants and awards. This blog, ESF Connected, showcases recent activities and achievements within ESF’s priority areas, and the work of ESF and others more generally.
The Esperanto World Congress that almost did not happen: Barcelona, 1909
Since their origins, Esperanto World Congresses have been more than a celebration. They are living proof of Esperanto’s success and popularity. The benefits congresses bring to the movement are beyond question and have been thoroughly discussed within both Esperantism and academia. Yet there is more to them. Like Eurovision or the Olympic Games, the World Congresses offer the hosting nation a...
El Congreso Mundial de Esperanto que casi no sucede: Barcelona, 1909
Desde sus orígenes, los Congresos Mundiales de Esperanto han sido más que una celebración. Son la prueba viviente del éxito y la popularidad del Esperanto. Los beneficios que los congresos aportan al movimiento están fuera de toda duda y han sido discutidos a fondo tanto en el esperantismo como en la academia. Sin embargo, es mucho más que eso. Al igual que Eurovisión o los Juegos Olímpicos, los...
La Universala Kongreso de Esperanto, kiu preskaŭ ne okazis: Barcelono, 1909
Jam de siaj originoj la Universalaj Kongresoj de Esperanto estas pli ol festo. Ili estas vivanta pruvo pri la sukceso kaj populareco de Esperanto. La avantaĝoj portataj de la kongresoj al la movado estas nekontesteblaj kaj oni ĝisfunde diskutis ilin en Esperantujo same kiel en universitatoj. Ili tamen enhavas pli. Kiel Eŭrovido aŭ la Olimpiaj Ludoj, la Universalaj Kongresoj proponas al la...
Early Esperantists in Bohemia: Josef Grňa and Jakub Arbes
Pardubice. Kutná Hora. Svitavy. Jevíčko. Hradec Králové. Smíchov. Have you ever heard of any of these places? Worry not, me neither – at least not until recently. Let us start with and in Smíchov. In 2020, the ESF generously funded my project “Local Internationalist? Bohemia and Central European Esperantists between the local, national and global (1880s-1920)”. In late August that year, I...
Fruaj esperantistoj en Bohemujo: Josef Grňa kaj Jakub Arbes
Pardubice. Kutná Hora. Svitavy. Jevíčko. Hradec Králové. Smíchov. Ĉu vi iam ajn aŭdis tiujn loknomojn? Ne zorgu, ankaŭ mi ne – krom nur lastatempe. Ni komencu per kaj en Smíchov. En 2020 ESF malavare subvenciis mian projekton “Ĉu loka internaciisto? Bohemujo kaj centr-eŭropaj esperantistoj inter la loka, nacia kaj tutmonda niveloj (1880-aj – 1920)”. En la malfrua parto de la tiujara aŭgusto mi...
From Esperanto to Dothraki: a book review (2)
Piperski, Aleksandr: Конструирование языков: от эсперанто до дотракийского ‘Constructing Languages: from Esperanto to Dothraki’. Moscow, Alypina Non-Fikšn 2017, 224 paĝoj. ISBN 978-5-91671-1. This is the second part of a lengthy article by Stanislav Košecký (Slovakia). We published the introduction in August. The book is split into six chapters. The first is entitled An unattainable ideal, and...
De Esperanto ĝis Dothraki: librorecenzo (2)
PIPERSKI, Aleksandr: Конструирование языков: от эсперанто до дотракийского ‘La konstruado de lingvoj: de Esperanto ĝis Dothraki’. Moskvo, Alypina Non-Fikšn 2017, 224 paĝoj. ISBN 978-5-91671-1. Jen la dua parto de longa artikolo verkita de Stanislav Košecký (Slovakio), kies enkondukon ni publikigis en aŭgusto. La libro dismembriĝas en ses ĉapitrojn. La unua el ili havas la titolon Neatingebla...
Digitization of Croatian journals co-funded by ESF
In mid November 2022, Croatia’s national Esperanto archive, Dokumenta Esperanto-Centro (DEC), completed its very important digitization project for the journals Konkordo (1924–1928), Balkana Konkordo (1931) and La Suda Stelo (1932–1973). Around 4200 pages were involved, which were digitized at DEC’s request by a firm called Point s.l.r. in Varaždin. The project received a grant in June 2022 from...
Bulletin · Bulteno
Short bilingual announcements of publications and projects
Mallongaj dulingvaj anoncoj pri eldonaĵoj kaj projektoj
Contribute an item · Kontribui eron
Rudolf Carnap and the Esperanto movement · kaj la Esperanto-movado
The German book Logischer Empirismus, Lebensreform und die deutsche Jugendbewegung (Logical Empiricism, Life Reform and the German Youth Movement), published this year, contains a chapter by Ulrich Lins, “Sprache transnational: Rudolf Carnap und die Esperantobewegung”...
Online C2-level CEF exam in November · Reta KER-ekzameno je nivelo C2 novembre
In 2022, the CEF Examination Centre of the World Esperanto Association launched an examination at the highest level (C2) of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. A team of experts worked on this for over a year. Experienced Esperantists and...
The Future of linguistics · La estonteco de lingvoscienco
This blog article discusses trends in linguistics and the way they are shaping our future. Ĉi tiu blogartikolo diskutas aktualajn direktojn en lingvoscienco kaj ilia maniero modli nian estontecon.
Singing, speech production, and the brain · Kantado, parolproduktado kaj la cerbo
Here is an interesting article about recent work led by Jianjing Kuang, a linguist at the University of Pennsylvania, to study how people create vowels when they sing. Jen interesa artikolo pri lastatempa laboro gvidata de Jianjing Kuang, lingvisto ĉe la Universitato...
From ideal to real · De idealismo al realismo
The non-profit organisation Global Voices recently published an article in Esperanto and seven other languages, entitled “Esperanto: De idealismo al realismo” (Esperanto: Can the language of idealism face reality?). La neprofitocela organizaĵo Global Voices (Tutmondaj...
Linguistic predictions during comprehension · Lingvaj prognozoj dum komprenado
Theorists propose that the brain constantly generates implicit predictions that guide information processing. During language comprehension, such predictions have indeed been observed, but it remains disputed under which conditions and at which processing level these...
The language that doesn’t use “no” · La lingvo, kiu ne uzas “ne”
Nepal’s Kusunda language has no known origin and a number of quirks, like no words for “yes” or “no”. It also has only one fluent speaker left, something linguists are racing to change. La kusunda lingvo en Nepalo havas nekonatan devenon kaj kelke da kuriozaĵoj,...
Linguistics and the Austronesian expansion · Lingvoscienco kaj la aŭstronezia ekspansio
The study of Indigenous languages spoken in maritime South-East Asia today has shed new light on the beginnings of the Austronesian expansion. This was the last major migration of people spreading out across the Pacific Ocean from eastern Taiwan and, ultimately,...
Non-speech vocal cues · Neparolaj voĉsignaloj
New research finds that specific parts of the brain recognize complex cues in human vocal sounds that do not involve speech, such as crying, coughing or gasping. Insights into the organization of the brain voice-recognition system will enable researchers to better...
Latin, Linguistics, Friendship and Poetry · Latino, lingvoscienco, amikeco kaj poezio
Here is an interview, entitled “Latin and Linguistics As the Gateway to Friendship and Poetry About Palestine”, with Kevin Hadduck, author of “Beloved Brother, Beloved Sister. Poems for Palestine” (2019). “Beautifully illustrated, this book is highly recommended for...
Edukado.net in Montreal · Edukado.net en Montrealo
Earlier this month, Edukado.net actively contributed to the World Esperanto Congress in Montreal. Here is a report on what took place, with photos. Pli frue en la nuna monato Edukado.net aktive kontribuis al la programoj de la montreala UK. Jen raporto pri la agado,...
Universal language network in the brain · Universala lingvoreto en la cerbo
In a large-scale functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, neuroscientists from MIT and Harvard University evaluated the claim of language universality with respect to core features of the brain's neural architecture. En ampleksa studo per funkcia magneta...
To be or not to be? · Ĉu esti aŭ ne esti?
A short article by Yutian Li, a student at the Beijing Royal School, entitled “The Vitality of Esperanto: To be or Not to be?”, provides a broad overview of Esperanto and may be of interest. Mallonga artikolo de Yutian Li, studento ĉe la Pekina Reĝa Lernejo, sub la...
Future of Languages conference · Konferenco Estonteco de Lingvoj
The international Future of Languages conference will be held at the University of Iceland in Reykjavík on 8 and 9 June 2023. The program will consist of theoretical and practical presentations as language teachers join forces to learn from each others’ experiences...
Esperanto in revolutionary Russia · Esperanto en la revolucia Rusio
A review by Alison Long has recently been published of Brigid O’Keeffe’s book Esperanto and languages of internationalism in revolutionary Russia. Lastatempe aperis recenzo verkita de Alison Long pri la libro de Brigid O’Keeffe Esperanto and languages of...
World Humanitarian Day · Monda Humanitara Tago
Today is World Humanitarian Day, and the non-profit organization Translators without Borders wants to honour humanitarians everywhere by sharing its community’s voices. Hodiaŭ estas la Monda Humanitara Tago, kaj la ne-profitocela organizaĵo Tradukistoj Sen Landlimoj...
Esperantic Studies Foundation,
638 Greenwood Circle,
Cary, NC 27511,
United States