Fictional languages are the subset ofconstructed languages (conlangs) that have been created as part of a fictional setting (e.g. for use in a book, movie, television show, or video game). Typically they are the creation of one individual, whilenatural languages evolve out of a particular culture or people group, and other conlangs may have group involvement. Fictionallanguages are also distinct from natural languages in that they have nonative speakers.[1] By contrast, the constructed language ofEsperanto nowhas native speakers.
Fictional languages are intended to be the languages of a fictional world and are often designed with the intent of giving more depth, and an appearance of plausibility, to the fictional worlds with which they are associated. The goal of the author may be to have their characters communicate in a fashion which is both alien and dislocated.[2] Within their fictional world, these languages do function as natural languages, helping to identify certain races or people groups and set them apart from others.[1]
While some less-formed fictional languages are created as distorted versions ordialects of a pre-existing natural language, many are independently designedconlangs with their ownlexicon (some more robust than others) and rules ofgrammar.[3] Some of the latter are fully formed enough to be learned as a speakable language, and manysubcultures exist of those who are 'fluent' in one or more of these fictional languages.[4] Often after the creator of a fictional language has accomplished their task, thefandom of thatfictional universe will pick up where the creator left off and continue to flesh out the language, making it more like a natural language and therefore more usable.[5]
Fictional languages are separated fromartistic languages by both purpose and relative completion: a fictional language often has the least amount of grammar and vocabulary possible, and rarely extends beyond the absolutely necessary. At the same time, some others have developed languages in detail for their own sake, such asJ. R. R. Tolkien'sQuenya andSindarin (two Elvish languages),Star Trek'sKlingon language andAvatar'sNa'vi language which exist as functioning, usable languages.[4]
By analogy with the word "conlang", the termconworld is used to describe these fictional worlds, inhabited by fictionalconstructed cultures. The conworld influences vocabulary (what words the language will have for flora and fauna, articles of clothing, objects of technology, religious concepts, names of places and tribes, etc.), as well as influencing other factors such as pronouns, or how their cultures view the break-off points between colors or the gender and age of family members. Sound is also a directing factor, as creators seek to show their audience throughphonology the type of race or people group to whom the language belongs.[3]
Commercial fictional languages are those languages created for use in various commercial media, such as:
While some languages are created purely from the desire of the creator, language creation can be a profession. In 1974,Victoria Fromkin was the first person hired to create a language (Land of the Lost's Paku).[5] Since then, notable professional language creators have includedMarc Okrand (Klingon),David Peterson (Dothraki and others inGame of Thrones), andPaul Frommer (Na'vi).
A notable subgenre of fictional languages arealien languages, the ones that are used or might be used by putativeextraterrestrial life forms. Alien languages are subject of bothscience fiction and scientific research. Perhaps the most fully developed fictional alien language is theKlingon language of theStar Trek universe – a fully developedconstructed language.[8]
The problem of alien language has confronted generations ofscience fiction writers; some have created fictional languages for their characters to use, while others have circumvented the problem through translation devices or other fantastic technology. For example, theStar Trek universe makes use of a "universal translator", which explains why such different races, often meeting for the first time, are able to communicate with each other.[9] Another more humorous example would be the Babel fish fromThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, an aurally-inserted fish that instantaneously translates alien speech to the speaker's native language.[10]
While in many cases an alien language is but an element of a fictional reality, in a number of science fiction works the core of the plot involves linguistic and psychological problems of communication between various alien species.
A further subgenre of alien languages are those that are visual, rather than auditory. Notable examples of this type are Sherman's Circular Gallifreyan fromBBC'sDoctor Who series[11] and the heptapod's written language, which is distinct from their spoken language, from the 2016 filmArrival.[12][13]
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Internet-based fictional languages are hosted along with their "conworlds" on the internet, and based at these sites, becoming known to the world through the visitors to these sites.Verdurian, the language ofMark Rosenfelder'sVerduria on the planet of Almea, is an Internet-based fictional language.
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