| Definition:
The most widely spoken artificial language. Its vocabulary consists of roots common to the chief European languages.
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| Example:
Kioma estas la horo? (What time is it?)
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| Etymology:
The language's name derives from the pseudonym Doktoro Esperanto, the name its inventor, Ludvic Zamenhof, used on the title page of Langue internationale; préface et manuel complet, his primordial treatise on Esperanto (published in 1887). The word itself means "one who hopes."
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Oxford English Dictionary: The term's first citation is from 1888:
(title) "Dr. Esperanto's International Tongue.… Edited for Englishmen."
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