Alkanadi:I have always felt as though Esperanto is based on Latin. Since English is based on Latin, it is no surprise that Esperanto and English sound similar.

I know it is off-topic, but I can't let this one go by. English is based on Latin?!?!?!? No! English is a Germanic language which historically later absorbed a significant part of its vocabulary from Norman (and other) French, admittedly itself a Latinate tongue, but no, English is not based on Latin. Its foundation is Germanic.

nornen:

morico:In a study on 4444 first esperanto-roots:
- 39% are foreign for russian;
- 24% are foreign for german;
- 22% are foreign for english;
- 10% are foreign for french

Could you please link (or at least identify) the source?

The paper-source is french of G. Waringhien, "ABC d'esperanto à l'usage de ceux qui aiment les lettres" (for use of these who like "belles lettres" or languages). page and number 49. It is the synthesis of two sources.
First the russian linguist V.Varinkin calculated, in Teorio de Esperanto , Moscow 1929:
Among the 2629 roots of Fundamento, 13% are foreign for french; 30% are foreign for english, 32% for german; 60% for russian.

After that, six Official Supplements and 1815 new roots were adding (1960?)
Among these 1815, 4% are foreign for french; 10% for english; 15% for german; 14% for russian. Because these new roots are more scientific and international.

The adding of the two researches give the results supra.

bartlett22183:

Alkanadi:I have always felt as though Esperanto is based on Latin. Since English is based on Latin, it is no surprise that Esperanto and English sound similar.

I know it is off-topic, but I can't let this one go by. English is based on Latin?!?!?!? No! English is a Germanic language which historically later absorbed a significant part of its vocabulary from Norman (and other) French, admittedly itself a Latinate tongue, but no, English is not based on Latin. Its foundation is Germanic.

Indeed, and not only this, a recent study (which of course I don't have on hand) showed that of the most commonly used vocabulary the majority is from the Germanic base.

bartlett22183:

Alkanadi:I have always felt as though Esperanto is based on Latin. Since English is based on Latin, it is no surprise that Esperanto and English sound similar.

I know it is off-topic, but I can't let this one go by. English is based on Latin?!?!?!? No! English is a Germanic language which historically later absorbed a significant part of its vocabulary from Norman (and other) French, admittedly itself a Latinate tongue, but no, English is not based on Latin. Its foundation is Germanic.

Oh okay. I thought it was mostly based on latin because of our cultural history. Even when I was a kid, doctors still wrote prescriptions in pure latin. Now it seems to be a bit of a mix.

Now that you mention it, I heard that English is very close to Frisen.