On Detlev Blanke: Beyond Esperanto

On 20 August 2016, the scholarly community lost a trusted and generous friend, Detlev Blanke. For most of those familiar with his work - and surely for most readers of this journal - Detlev was widely known as an Esperantist and an Esperantologist. The fine but significant distinction between the two represents one of the hallmarks of his multifaceted contributions to the study of Plansprachen ('planned languages', the alternative to 'constructed languages' and 'artificial languages' that he promoted so eloquently). It is also the reason that I am writing this tribute to his memory in English, neither the primary language of this journal (Esperanto) nor the language in which I communicated with Detlev (German). To me, the most salient characteristic of his tremendous contribution to this area of linguistic study and linguistic experience has been the conviction that Plansprachen are not just for enthusiasts, and that Esperanto has much to offer those who do not identify themselves as samideanoj or as members of any of the various planned-language communities. He advocated for discussion and understanding beyond these often highly-policed intellectual borders, and it was this expansive outreach that I personally most treasure in his memory.