Tag Archives: criticism
“Con”-sonants Posted by Transparent Language on Jul 31, 2009
I apologize for the horrible pun. I have no idea what possessed me to do that. A decent essay found here suggests that part of Esperanto’s sometimes limited appeal stems from its excessive use of consonants. Admittedly, I’ve always preferred the sibilant over the guttural…It’s part of the reason why I decided to study Spanish…
A Thorough Critique! Posted by Transparent Language on Jul 22, 2009
If you’re up for a long, thoughtful critique of Esperanto, Justin Rye has compiled a massive and thorough examination of all the things he finds inadequate about the language. I’ve only had the time to unearth this article today, much less study it! However, if you have an opinion regarding this essay (or thesis, given…
Further Criticism: Esperanto and Language Diversity Posted by Transparent Language on Jul 21, 2009
Here’s an interesting critique of the Esperanto movement! This essay by Christopher Culver examines the seemingly self-contradictory Esperanto agenda. Give it a look if you have the opportunity. While I do not think Mr. Culver’s criticism provides an entirely accurate assessment of the state of the Esperanto movement, his opinions caution us not to allow…
More Food for Thought: The Auxiliary Language Debate Posted by Transparent Language on Jul 11, 2009
Since it hasn’t stopped raining where I live for the past month or so, I cannot help but be in a mildly pessimistic mood. I’ve taken to examining some of the less sunny arguments against constructed languages, thinking that my present mindset might help me to better understand a position I would not normally support…
A New Read on Linguistic Issues Posted by Transparent Language on Jun 3, 2009
A co-worker recently passed on this link in an email. It’s a review of a fascinating new book about languages, called “Origins of the Specious.” The Darwin pun alone makes me want to read it! While the book, from what I can discern, does not focus on Esperanto, it addresses some of the peculiar idiosyncrasies…
Kritikoj de Esperanto: Rehashing Belorussian? Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 30, 2009
Having covered Ido with my last entry, I began wondering what might have prompted such a large-scale departure from Esperanto. As a continuing series, I think that we might periodically revisit some of la kritikoj that people have of Esperanto, and assess whether they are valid or not. If any of you readers out there…