ádo

Ído is a term most commonly encountered as the name of a constructed international auxiliary language, more often written as Ido. It originated in the early 20th century as a reform movement related to Esperanto, with the aim of creating a language that would be easier to learn and more regular in its grammar while retaining much of Esperanto’s vocabulary base.

Origins and aims

Ido emerged from a group of language reformers who sought to address perceived irregularities in Esperanto. The project proposed standardizing grammar, regularizing affixation, and simplifying certain morphological rules without abandoning the goal of international intelligibility. In practice, Ido kept much of the Esperanto-inspired lexicon but introduced systematic changes intended to improve ease of use and predictability for learners.

Characteristics

As a planned language, Ido emphasizes regular morphology and a phonemic orthography. It uses a Latin-script alphabet and adopted a more overtly regular approach to word formation than Esperanto. The design intent was to minimize exceptions in grammar and to streamline verb tenses and sentence structure, making it accessible to a broad audience of language learners and international communicators.

Usage and history

Ido gained attention and a sizable community of supporters in the early to mid-20th century, producing grammars, dictionaries, and literary texts. Over time, its adoption waned in comparison with Esperanto and other languages, though it remains of interest in historical and linguistic discussions about constructed languages. Today, Ido is primarily studied by enthusiasts, scholars, and archivists, with materials preserved in online resources and libraries.

Orthography note

The form ído with an accent on the initial i is not part of the standard official orthography; it may appear in stylized writing or nonstandard texts. The conventional spelling is Ido.