I was reading an article in the New Yorker about the upcoming movie Dune: Part Two & it got me thinking about constructed languages (conlangs). The movie features a couple of them.
It all started with Tolkien. A philologist, he created numerous languages for Middle-earth, such as Quenya & Sindarin. His dedication to linguistic detail was so extensive [tedious?] that he created complete histories & etymologies for his languages, even before writing The Lord of the Rings.
The first famous conlang was arguably Klingon, developed by Marc Okrand for the Star Trek franchise. It has its grammar rules, vocabulary, & even a dedicated translation institute, the Klingon Language Institute, where enthusiasts gather to study & promote the language.
Na’vi: Linguist Paul Frommer crafted the Na’vi language for James Cameron’s Avatar. Arguably the most popular conlang of the 21st century. It’s hard to say how many people speak it, but resources are available for fans to learn it.
Constructed Scripts: Some conlangs come with their own unique writing systems. For example, the Aurebesh alphabet was created for the Star Wars universe, & it’s often used for writing Basic, the most common language in the galaxy far, far away.
It’s not all about spoken languages: Constructed Sign Languages have also been created. KSL (Kryptonian Sign Language) was developed for the TV series Krypton, adding an extra layer of authenticity to the portrayal of Kryptonian culture.
This has all led to language creation societies: groups & societies dedicated to the creation & study of constructed languages. The Language Creation Society, founded by David J. Peterson & others, is an example. These communities provide resources, forums, & events for conlang enthusiasts.
& conlangs don’t only exist in the world of fiction: Esperanto, created in the late 19th century by L. L. Zamenhof, was designed to be an international auxiliary language to foster communication between people of different native languages. It has a structured grammar & vocabulary, making it easy to learn [though its Romance and Germanic roots reflect a European linguistic ‘bias’].
Finally, Newspeak has to get an Honourable Mention: though not a fully developed language, George Orwell’s conlang from 1984 is significant thanks to its influence on the dystopian genre & discussions about language manipulation.
The world of constructed languages is vast & diverse, ranging from simple communication tools to fully fleshed-out linguistic systems that rival natural languages. A fascinating intersection of linguistics, creativity, & storytelling!
🤔 So how does it make you feel, some ‘real’ languages are dying out, while people are making others up…
[apologies for AI spelling]
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