Unua Libro introduces Esperanto (1887)

L. L. Zamenhof published Unua Libro in July 1887, introducing the constructed language Esperanto. The book, originally titled International Language, marked the formal beginning of the Esperanto movement. Zamenhof, an ophthalmologist, developed the language over years before self-publishing the work in Russian. The publication established the core vocabulary and grammar, though the name Esperanto was not used for the language itself until 1889.

Episodes

Background and detail

Publication Details. Unua Libro was first published in Russian on 26 July 1887. The title was International Language, with Zamenhof using the pseudonym Doktoro Esperanto. The name Unua Libro was applied retroactively in relation to his 1888 book Dua Libro. The publication marks the formal beginning of the Esperanto movement, establishing the core vocabulary defined by the book.

Naming and Reception. Zamenhof originally referred to the language as the international language. The term Esperanto did not arise until 1889 when people began using his pseudonym as the language's name. The book's content was later reproduced in the 1905 Fundamento de Esperanto, which established the sole obligatory authority over the language.

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Sources

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