Nur la parolantoj posedas la lingvon

As interesting as what Zamenhof put into his language project was what he chose to leave out: he understood very clearly that a language must be allowed to grow and develop, not only because too much rigidity may limit the adaptability of the language to changing needs, but also because participation in the processes of language change gives the speaker an intellectual and emotional investment in the language. All language projects, if they move beyond the author's desk, must confront the problem of ownership: if they are owned by the author they cannot survive; if they are the common property of a collective, there is some hope of survival and growth (Lo Jacomo 1981). Most authors are loath to part with their creations: they are constantly adding to their projects, or seeking to produce ever larger dictionaries. Zamenhof saw very clearly that he must renounce ownership, must strive to create patterns of language loyalty, of shared ownership, leading to the creation of a language community.

Humphrey Tonkin and Mark Fettes, Esperanto Studies: An Overview