The following is an article which appeared in Progreso, Vol. X No. 93 (1), February 1933. I have written it up and translated it into English because I think it is an excellent exposition of the history of Ido and the differences between the two languages.
Translator's notes in square brackets [ ].
| Esperanto od Ido? | Esperanto or Ido? |
|---|---|
| Por definitive selektar inter ta du posiblaji di linguo internaciona, esas necesa revuar antee la historio di olua origino e propagado. | To definitely choose between these two possibilities for international language, it is necessary to first review the history of its origin and spread. |
| Sro Zamenhof, juda polono naskinta en Rusia, qua savis multa lingui europana, remarkabis ke ula radiki en diversa lingui similesas. Il videskis en diversa lingui komuna fundo, qua povas profitar internaciona lingui. | Mr Zamenhof, a Jewish Pole born in Russia, who knew many European languages, had noticed that some roots are similar in various languages. He began to see in different languages a common foundation, which could benefit international languages. |
| Altravorte, Sro Zamenhof honorizesis per deskovrir, kom unesma, la linguo internaciona, qua ja existas latente en vortolibri dil europana lingui. Ca deskovro importanta facesis cirkum la yaro 1887. | In other words, Mr Zamenhof was honoured by being the first to discover the international language which exists concealed in the dictionaries of the European languages. This important discovery was made around the year 1887. |
| En 1890, Sro Zamenhof editis sua projetita linguo internaciona sub la nomo «Esperanto», signifikante per ta vorto, ke il esperas ke sua projeto adoptesos ed uzesos. La vorto-libri di ta projeto similesis, per sua radiki, a la vorto-libri dil europana lingui. Olua gramatiko tre simpla havis nur dek-e-sis reguli sen ecepto. | In 1890, Mr Zamenhof published his planned international language under the name "Esperanto", meaning by that word that he hoped his project would be adopted and used. The dictionaries of this project resembled, through their roots, the dictionaries of the European languages. Its very simple grammar had only sixteen rules with no exceptions. |
| Esperanto havis kolosal suceso. La plumulto di volapükisti divenis olua zeloza propagadisti. En Montreal, ye la 15-esma di mayo 1901, klubo formacesis por lernar e propagar Esperanto, di qua la prezidanto esis abado de Solis, profesoro en kolegio St. Hyacinthe. La klubani esis tre agema e multe rumorigis tam en urbo kam en ruro. | Esperanto had a colossal success. Most Volapükists became its zealous promoters. In Montreal, on the 15th of May 1901, a club was formed for learning and promoting Esperanto, of which the president was an abbot from Solis, professor in the college of St. Hyacinthe. The club-members were very active and did much to spread the word, as much in the town as in the countryside. |
| En 1902, ni editis monatala revuo nomizita «La Lumo», di qua l'artikli redaktesis en tri lingui, t. e. franca, angla ed Esperanto. Ta revuo editesis til la kongreso di Boulogne, en 1905. | In 1902, we published a monthly review called "La Lumo" ["The Light"], in which articles were published in three languages, that is, French, English and Esperanto. This review was published until the Boulogne congress in 1905. |
| Dum nia propagado, ni shokesis da la desfacileso imprimar Esperanto per linotipi, pro la super-signizita literi di ta linguo. Ni ne povis imprimigar ula Esperanto-texto en landala jurnali, quo esis granda obstaklo en nia propagado en ruri ed urbi dil Kanadana provinci. | During our promotion, we were shocked by the difficulty of printing Esperanto using linotype, because of the accented letters in that language. We could not print any Esperanto text in national newspapers, which was a big obstacle to our promotion in the towns and rural areas of the Canadian provinces. |
| En la yaro 1905, quale supere dicita, eventis la unesma mondala kongreso dil esperantisti en Boulogne-an-maro (Francia). | In the year 1905, as I said above, took place the first world congress of Esperantists in Boulogne-sur-mer (France). |
| Sro Saint-Martin, sua familio e me, delegesis da nia klubo por demandar ke la kongreso e Sro Zamenhof ipsa facez la necesa chanji en la lingual alfabeto. | Mr Saint-Martin, his family and myself were delegated by our club to ask that the congress and Mr Zamenhof himself make the necessary changes to the language's alphabet. |
| Ja ye la komenco dil kongreso, pos la kustumala ceremonii ed ante procedar plu fore, Saint-Martin propozis emendante procedurala propozo, ke komitato selektesez por facar la chanji postulata ne nur da ni en Kanada, ma anke mult-nombra europana esperantisti. La kongreso unanime elektis komitato qua devos okupar su pri la kozo e raportor. Ye la fixigita dio, kande la komitato devabus kunvenar, Sro Boirac ed altra komitatani dicis a Sro Saint-Martin: «Hiere vespere, ON decidis ne facar chanji en la linguo Esperanto». Sro Saint-Martin respondis: «Qua esas ca ON, qua nokte decidas kontre la volo unanima dil kongreso? To esas trahizo: To ne eventos tale!» | Already at the start of the congress, after the customary ceremonies and before going any further, Saint-Martin proposed as an amendment a procedural proposal, that a committee be selected to make the changes proposed not just by us in Canada, but also numerous European Esperantists. The congress unanimously elected a committee which should occupy itself with this thing and report back. On the arranged day, when the commitee should have been meeting, Mr Boirac and other committee-members said to Mr Saint-Martin: "Yesterday evening, WE decided not to make changes in the Esperanto language". Mr Saint-Martin responded: "Who is this WE, who by night decide against the unanimous will of the congress? This is betrayal: Things will not happen this way!" |
| Lore, Saint-Martin kaptis stulo kom tribuno, departis por klamar trahizo al esperantisti asemblita en la korto dil kongreseyo. Ma, dum voyo, il renkontris sua familio qua, pos expliko pri l'afero, suplikas olua chefo ne efektigar to, quan ol esor skandalo. Emocigita da la plori ed alarmi di sua familio, il sinkis sub la... tendo! Ca-instante, la fato di nia revuo decidesis - La Lumo ne plus aparis. | Then, Saint-Martin grabbed a chair as a rostrum, and left to claim betrayal to the Esperantists assembled in the courtyard of the congress-hall. But on the way, he met his family which, after an explanation of the affair, begged their head not to go through with it, as they believed it would be a scandal. Made emotional by the tears and alarm of his family, he sank under the... awning! At that moment, the fate of our review was decided - La Lumo no longer appeared. |
| Quo eventabis en la hiera dio, kande la komitato selektita da la kongreso kunvenis? Por respondar kredinde a ca questiono, esas necesa savar ke Sro Zamenhof, en la yaro 1903, obligis su kontrate donor a la firmo Hachette e Kompanio, librerio en Paris, monopolo por imprimar omna verki aprobita dal autoro di Esperanto. Esis anke kelka revui esperantista, di qui l'editeri aquirabis spensege specala tipi por imprimar Esperantaji. On darfas admisar kom certa, ke omna ta interestozi facabis tre forta preso sur la konocata chefi dil kongreso, por ke li opozez su ad ula chanjo en Esperanto. On sakrifikis ad interesti meskina la tota futuro di la linguo! | What had happened the previous day, when the committee selected by the congress met? To respond believably to this question it is necessary to know that Mr Zamenhof, in the year 1903, had obliged himself under contract to give the firm Hachette and Company, publishers in Paris, a monopoly for the printing of all books approved by the author of Esperanto. There were also some Esperanto reviews, whose publishers had acquired at great expense special types to print Esperanto material. They sacrificed to narrow interests the whole future of the language! |
| Til la yaro 1898, Esperanto nur vejetis inter tre poka klubani. Ca-date, Sro de Beaufront, eminenta filologo ed editero, remarkinte la qualesi di Esperanto, divenis olua fervoroza propagadisto en Francia ed altra-loke. Il editis de la yaro 1898 monatala jurnalo nomizita «L'Esperantiste», qua progesigis Esperanto per gigantala pazi. Unvorte, Sro de Beaufront esis la Santa Paulua di la linguo per sua generala propagado. Quale on dicis, il esis la dextra brakio di Zamenhof. | Up to the year 1898, Esperanto just vegetated among a very few club-members. At that point, Mr de Beaufront, eminent philologist and publisher, noticing the qualities of Esperanto, became its fervent promoter in France and elsewhere. He published from the year 1898 a monthly journal called "L'Esperantiste", which caused Esperanto to progress by leaps and bounds. In a word, Mr de Beaufront was the Saint Paul of the language by virtue of his general propogandising. As was said, he was the right arm of Zamenhof. |
| Tamen, Sro de B. remarkabis, same kam ni, la defekti di Espo. Do, en la yaro 1900, lor la granda Expozo di Paris, il juntis su ad multa por fondar delegitaro qua mustos propagar, selektar ed adoptar helpanta linguo internaciona. La sekretarii di ca delegitaro esis Sri profesori Couturat e Leau, du filologiisti e matematikisti eminenta. Ca delegitaro laboreskis e dum sep yari rekrutis plu kam 1200 membri e lua sekretarii exploris plu kam 60 projeti pri linguo internaciona. | Nevertheless, Mr de B. had noticed, the same as us, the defects of Espo [Esperanto]. So in the the year 1900, at the time of the great Paris Exhibition, he joined with many people to set up a delegation which had to promote, select and adopt an international auxiliary language. The secretaries of this delegation were Professors Couturat and Leau, two eminent linguists and mathematicians. This delegation got to work and during seven years recruited more than 1200 members and its secretaries researched more than 60 international language projects. |
| En la yaro 1907, komitato elektesis por explorar la laboro facita da la Delegitaro e por fine selektar la maxim bona helpanta linguo. Ca komitato inkluzis la maxim famoza filologiisti e ciencisti en la linguala rejio, tala kom Sri Ostwald, Jespersen, Baudouin-de-Courtenay, e. c. Pos 18 longa kunsidi en Paris, la komitato decidis ke Esperanto selektesas kom linguo internaciona, kondicione ke ula modifiki facesos segun la projeto «Ido» di qua la real autoro ne ja konocesis dal publiko tainstante. | In the year 1907, a committee was elected to explore the work done by the Delegation and to finally choose the best auxiliary language. This committee included the most famous linguists and scientists in the field of language, such as Messrs Ostwald, Jespersen, Baudouin-de-Courtenay, etc. After 18 long meetings in Paris, the committee decided that Esperanto would be selected as the international language, on condition that some modifications were made along the lines of the project "Ido" of which the real author was not yet known by the public at that moment. |
| Per lia reprezenteri, la firmo Hachette ed altra interestozi tre forte opozis su ad ula reformo e koaktis mem Sro Zamenhof ne interesar su pri la laboro facita dal komitato di la Delegitaro. Mem il ne plus konsentis ad ula reformo pri la linguo Esperanto, sub la trompiva pretexto, ke la reformo nocos la propagado e l'uneso dil adepti. | Through their representatives, the firm Hachette and other interested parties set themselves very strongly against any reform and forced Mr Zamenhof not to take an interest in the work done by the Delegation. He even ceased to agree to any reform in the Esperanto language, under the deceitful pretext that reform would harm promotion and the unity of the adherents. |
| Lore, la jurnalistaro esperantista taceskis pri la reformo. On insultis mem e qualifikis kom «trahizanto», «Judas», Sro de B. qua deskovresis esar l'autoro dil projeto submisita a la linguala komitato sub la nomo Ido por reformar Espo. Kande on volas ocidar sua hundo, on dicas: «ol esas rabioza!» | Then, the Esperantist press began to be silent about the reform. They insulted and even characterized as a "traitor", "Judas", Mr de B. who was discovered to be the author of the project submitted to the language committee under the name Ido for reforming Espo. When one wants to kill one's dog, one says: "it is rabid!" |
| Por ni en Kanada, la trahizinti esas ti, qui pro meskina interesti opozis su a la reformo, tote ne Sro de B., quale on vidos lo per to, pri quo me es senvola testo en Cambridge. | For us in Canada, the traitors are those who, because of narrow interests, set themselves against the reform, certainly not Mr de B., as we will see from that to which I was an unwilling witness in Cambridge. |
| En la yaro 1907, un yaro ante la decido dil komitato linguala dil Delegitaro por Esperanto emendota, eventis la granda kongreso en Cambridge (Anglia), quan me asistis kom delegito Kanadana. Ye la fino dil kongreso eventis balo en travestio nacionala por Esperantisti. | In the year 1907, one year before the decision of the language committee of the Delegation in favour of an amended Esperanto, took place the large congress in Cambridge (England), which I attended as a Canadian delegate. At the end of the congress there was a ball in national fancy-dress for the Esperantists. |
| Ne adportinte kostumo, pro ke ni ne havas nacionala kostumo en Kanada, me ekiris aden mikra salono. Dum ke me lektis ibe mea jurnali, me subite vidis enirar Sri Zamenhof e de Beaufront. Ili ne povis vidar me, ma me povis audar lia konversado. Ili diskutis pri projeto por emendar Espo. Ca emendi sugestesis da mikra broshuro disdonita a la chefa Esperantisti dum la kongreso e di qua l'autoro esis Sro Couturat, sekretario di la Delegitaro. Sro de Beaufront pledis por acepto di ta emendi; same Sro Zamenhof opinionis favoroze pri oli, ma il objecionis, ke to nocos l'uneso e la propagado. Fine, li interkonsentis ke Sro Zamenhof ne iros koram la Delegitaro, ma ke Sro de Beaufront remplasos lu por kunlaborar e sugestar, kaze di neceseso, la dezirinda reformi en la linguo. Diskutinte plu kam mi-horo, omni du riiris aden la balo-chambro e me duris mea lektado. | Not having brought a costume, because we do not have a national costume in Canada, I went out into a small lounge. While I was there reading my newspapers, I suddenly saw Messrs Zamenhof and de Beaufront enter. They could not see me, but I could hear their conversation. They were discussing a project to amend Espo. These amendments were suggested by a small brochure given out to the Esperanto chiefs during the congress and of which the author was Mr Couturat, secretary of the Delegation. Mr de Beaufront pleaded for acceptance of these amendments; similarly Mr Zamenhof thought favourably of them, but he objected that it would harm unity and promotion. Finally they agreed that Mr Zamenhof would not go before the Delegation, but that Mr de Beaufront would stand in for him to collaborate and suggest, where necessary, the desired reforms in the language. Having discussed for more than half an hour, both went back into the ballroom and I continued my reading. |
| Sro Zamenhof mortis dum la granda milito (1916), ma Sro de B. vivas ankore; il evas 78 yari. Ante la desaparo di la lasta granda pioniro dil Esperanto, me deziris levetar hike ca mikra angulo dil velo qua celis del esperantisti la relati ed interkonsento existinta inter Sro de Beaufront e Sro Zamenhof relate la reformo. | Mr Zamenhof died during the Great War (1916), but Mr de B. is still alive; he is 78 years of age. Before the disappearance of the last great pioneers of Esperanto, I wanted to lift here a small corner of the veil which hid from Esperantists the relationship and agreement which existed between Mr de Beaufront and Mr Zamenhof concerning reform. |
| Me sempre questionis me, pro quo Sro de B. ne persequabis avan civila tribunali omna ta kalumnieri, omna ta asasineri dil Esperanto? Kad il abstenis pro estimo ad Zamenhof, timante nocor l'interesti di ca lasta? | I always asked myself, why did Mr de B. not prosecute before a civil tribunal all those slanderers, all those assassins of Esperanto? Did he hold back out of respect for Zamenhof, frightened of harming his interests? |
| Omnakaze, la reformo pri Espo facesis fortunoze dal komitato linguala di la Delegitaro e publikigesis dum la yaro 1910 sub la nomo «Ido» (La Langue Auxiliare Internationale Ido). | In any case, the reform of Espo was fortunately done by the language committee of the Delegation and was published during the year 1910 under the name "Ido" (The International Auxiliary Language Ido). |
| Pro quo ca nomo? Pro ke Sro Zamenhof, quale me dicis lo, interdiktis a la reformeri di Espo uzar ca nomo por indikar la nova emendita Espo-linguo. Lore, il uzis la vorto Ido, qua esas un de la sufixi dil Espo, signifikanta «naskinta de», c. e., naskinta de Esperanto. | Why this name? Because Mr Zamenhof, as I have said, forbade the reformers of Espo to use the name to indicate the new amended Esperanto language. So then they used the word Ido, which is one of the Espo suffixes, meaning "descended from", that is, descended from Esperanto. |
| Lore, l'Esperantisti dividesis en du partisi: la progresemi, qui de longe demandabis la plubonigi di Espo, aceptis Ido e zeloze propagadis olu; la regresemi o konservemi, di qui shaminda interesti burizis la kranii per kimeratra timi e qui propagas ankore Espo kun omna olua defekti. Quante bela skismo! | At that time, the Esperantists were divided into two factions: the progressives, who had long asked for the improvement of Espo, accepted Ido and zealously promoted it; the regressives or conservatives, whose shameful interests stuffed their skulls with fears and who still promote Espo with all its defects. What a beautiful schism! |
| Por ni en Kanada, Ido esas ideala linguo internaciona. Ni, qui demandabis ja lor la unesma kongreso en Boulogne nur l'emendo dil alfabeto, aceptis entuziasmoze ta emendita Espo. Ni studieskis olu, korespondis kun exterlandani e, segun nia experienco, ni ne darfas konceptar linguo plu facila, simpla ed apta ad plear la rolo di linguo internaciona. | For us in Canada, Ido is the ideal international language. We who had already asked at the time of the Boulogne congress only for the amendment of the alphabet, enthusiastically accepted this amended Espo. We began to study it, corresponded with foreigners and, from our experience, we cannot conceive of a language easier, simpler and more suited to playing the rôle of international language. |
| Certe, quale dicis tante bone Sro Emile Hureau: «Nulu regretis plu kam me la skismo facita en Esperanto. Mea vidpunto esis, ke po irga preco oportabus konservar la konkordo. Me deziris sive ke l'Esperantisti tendencos ad Ido, od ke l'Idisti tendencos ad Esperanto. Dum multa yari me kredis ke la Idisti esas kulpoza, tante kulpoza, ke malgre la supereso di Ido, me duris ankore esar Esperantisto dum longa yari; pose, uldie me decidis parstudiar la questiono, e de ta dio, esas la chefa Esperantisti qui aparis ad me kom tre kulpoza pro ne raliir su ad la decido honesta, superiora mem flativa por Espo, di la Delegitaro di qua li partoprenis la laboro. Me agnoskis ke la kompatinda dicipuli di Espo esis viktimi di regretinda burizo dil kranii e ke lia chefi sakrifikabis ad sua propramo, ad sua interesto e superbeso, la realigo di granda progreso e la fino di skismo.» | Indeed, as Mr Emile Hureau said so well: "No-one regretted more than I the schism produced in Esperanto. The way I saw things was that at any price it was necessary to preserve agreement. I wanted either that the Esperantists lean towards Ido, or that the Idists lean towards Esperanto. For many years I believed that the Idists were to blame, so much so that despite the superiority of Ido, I continued to be an Esperantist for many years; afterwards, one day I decided to study the question thoroughly, and from that day onwards it has been the Esperanto chiefs who appeared to me to be very much to blame for not rallying round the honest decisions, superior and even flattering for Esperanto, of the Delegation whose work they took part in. I acknowledge that the unfortunate disciples of Espo were the victims of a regrettable stuffing of skulls and that their chiefs sacrificed to their own self-esteem, to their interests and wonderfulness, the bringing about of great progress and the end of the schism." |
| Cadie, por omna spirito qua evaluas kun kompetenteso e nepartisaneso, ni esas koram unika sistemo ciencala di linguo internaciona: lo esas Esperanto plubonigita ed ajustita da akademio di ciencoza linguisti, propagita sub la nomo «Ido». Ek omna sistemi, Ido esas la unesma qua enuncis la fundamental principi di la linguo internaciona. Al principo dil autoritato kulpiva, arbitriala e nestabila, ol substitucis l'autoritato dil principi por regulizar la defektoza derivado dil Esperanto. | Today, for every soul who evaluates with competence and impartiality, we are in the presence of a unique scientific system of international language: it is Esperanto improved and adjusted by an academy of scientific linguists, promoted under the name "Ido". Of all the systems, Ido was the first to enunciate the fundamental principles of international language. For the principle of blameful, arbitrary and unstable authority, it substituted the authority of principles in order to regularize the defective derivation in Esperanto. |
| Pri gramatiko, la Zamenhofal sistemo esis ja remarkinde simpla; tamen, Ido detranchis de ol l'akuzativo, la pluralo di adjektivi e la supersignizita literi. Irar plu fore en la simpligo gramatikal esas neposibla. | Concerning grammar, the Zamenhof system was already remarkably simple; nevertheless, Ido sliced off it the accusative, the adjective plural and the accented letters. To go further in the grammatical simplification is impossible. |
| La linguo internaciona sequis la voyo dil omna homal inventuri. Ol subisis tastala serio ante atingar sua perfekteso, ante deskovrar sua normala konstrukteso. Se nulu helpabus la prim-uzi dil vaporo, mashini, aeroplani ed omna inventuri, la homaro nultempe progresabus. Se ni volas ke la linguo internaciona uzesez uldie por la maxim grand avantajo dil homaro, oportas evidente ke l'individual esforco startigez ol. Omna homal institucuri esis nur progresiva realigo di esforci dil inicieri. | International language has followed the route of all human inventions. It went through a groping series of forms before reaching perfection, before discovering its standard construction. If no-one had helped the primitive uses of steam, machines, aeroplanes and all other inventions, mankind would never have progressed. If we wish the international language to be used one day to the greatest advantage for mankind, it is clearly necessary for individual efforts to start it off. All human institutions are just a progressive realisation of the efforts of its founders. |
| Qua de la du sistemi fine vinkos en ta kuro, plu bone ta lukto por konquestar la mondo? Pro ke la maxim bona armo vinkas en omna lukto, Ido posedante la maxim granda perfekteso, nedubiteble fine vinkos. Ma, ne suficas dicar lo. Oportas helpar lua propagado per omna moyeni posibla. | Which of the two systems finally will win out in this race, better this fight, to conquest the world? Since the best weapon wins in any fight, Ido, possessing the greatest perfection, will undoubtedly win in the end. But it is not enough to say it. It is necessary to help its promotion by every means possible. |
| Do, ni advokas omni ti, qui deziras helpar l'avanco dil homaro, ke li enirez nia rangi ed helpez la finala lukto por l'adopto dil helpanta linguo internaciona, por la maxim granda profito dil aparta personi e dil homaro generale. | So, we advocate to all those who want to help the advance of mankind, to come into our ranks and help in the final fight for the adoption of the international auxiliary language, for the greatest benefit of individual people and mankind generally. |
| Avance! Vivez Ido! | Forward! Long live Ido! |
| A.-P. BEAUCHEMIN. 4104, Oxford Ave, Montreal, Kan. |
A.-P. BEAUCHEMIN. 4104, Oxford Ave, Montreal, Kan. [Canada] |