Pet reason for developing an artificial language (9)

I believe the answer is:

esperanto

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'an artificial language' is the definition.
(Esperanto is an example)

'pet reason for developing' is the wordplay.
'pet reason' anagrams to 'ESPERANTO'.
Though, I'm not sure how the anagram is indicated.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for esperanto that I've seen before include "contrived language" , "in which many could communicate?" , "Personate (anag.)" , "composite language" , "Artificial international language devised in 1887" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.

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