an artificial language invented in 1887 as a means of international communication, based on the main European languages but with easy grammar and pronunciation 世界語(1887 年創制的一種人造國際語言,以歐洲主要語言爲基礎) Word Originfrom the name Dr Esperanto, used as a pen-name by the inventor of the language, Ludwik L. Zamenhof (1858–1917), Polish physician; the literal sense is ‘one who hopes’ (based on Latin sperare ‘to hope’).