The Tower of Babel, that ancient symbol of human division, has found its modern counterpart not in a physical structure but in the minds of individuals who deliberately set out to build new ways of speaking. This is the story of constructed languages, or conlangs, which are not the result of centuries of organic evolution but the product of human intention and design. Unlike natural languages that emerge from the chaotic interplay of human interaction, conlangs are crafted with specific goals in mind, whether to facilitate international communication, to enrich a fictional world, or to explore the very limits of human thought. The history of these languages stretches back to classical antiquity, where philosophers like Plato and Pānini began to question the nature of language itself, laying the groundwork for what would become a rich and diverse field of human creativity. From the mystical Lingua Ignota of the 12th century to the elaborate Klingon language of the 21st century, the story of conlangs is one of ambition, innovation, and the enduring human desire to shape the world through words.
Mystics and Philosophers
In the 12th century, St. Hildegard of Bingen, a German abbess and mystic, created the Lingua Ignota, an entirely artificial language that remains one of the earliest examples of a constructed language. This language, which she used to communicate with God and to express her mystical visions, was not intended for everyday use but served as a form of private cant, a way to access a higher plane of understanding. The Lingua Ignota was part of a broader tradition of mystical languages that sought to recover the original language spoken by Adam and Eve in Paradise, lost in the confusion of tongues at the Tower of Babel. This tradition continued through the Renaissance, with figures like Ramon Llull, who developed the Ars Magna, a project of a perfect language designed to convince infidels of the truth of the Christian faith. Llull's work was based on combinatorics, a method of arranging concepts in a systematic way, and it reflected the belief that language could be used to reveal the underlying structure of reality. These early conlangs were not merely tools for communication but were seen as keys to unlocking the mysteries of the universe, a belief that would persist in various forms for centuries.
The Age of Perfect Systems
The 17th century witnessed a surge in the creation of philosophical languages, which aimed to reduce all human knowledge to a single, universal system. Francis Lodwick, Sir Thomas Urquhart, George Dalgarno, and John Wilkins were among the pioneers of this movement, each proposing their own system of hierarchical classification that was intended to result in both spoken and written expression. These languages were not just about grammar and vocabulary but were designed to organize all human knowledge into characters or hierarchies, an idea that would later influence the Encyclopédie of the Enlightenment. However, the realization that it was impossible to organize human knowledge unequivocally in a tree diagram led to the decline of these projects. Despite this, the legacy of these philosophical languages lived on, influencing the development of modern conlangs that sought to eliminate syntactical ambiguity or maximize conciseness. The 17th and 18th centuries were a time of great ambition, where the boundaries between language, logic, and philosophy were blurred, and the dream of a perfect language seemed within reach.
In the 19th century, the focus of constructed languages shifted from philosophical systems to international auxiliary languages, which were designed to facilitate communication between people of different native languages. The first of these to gain international attention was Volapük, proposed in 1879 by Johann Martin Schleyer, which quickly gained a following with 283 clubs around the globe. However, internal disagreements led to its decline, making way for Esperanto, proposed in 1887 by L. L. Zamenhof, which has since become the most widely spoken constructed language. Esperanto's success did not stop others from trying to create new auxiliary languages, such as Interlingua, which emerged in 1951, and many others that have followed. These languages were designed to be easier to learn than natural languages, with regular grammar and vocabulary that could be mastered quickly. The movement for international auxiliary languages was driven by the belief that a common language could foster peace and understanding among nations, a dream that continues to inspire conlangers today.
The Art of Fictional Worlds
In the 20th and 21st centuries, the creation of constructed languages became increasingly associated with fiction and art. J. R. R. Tolkien, the author of The Lord of the Rings, created Quenya and Sindarin, languages that were not just tools for communication but integral parts of his legendarium. These languages were designed to be naturalistic, with irregular verbs and complex phonological processes that mimicked the evolution of natural languages. The trend continued with Marc Okrand, who created the Klingon language for the Star Trek franchise, and David Peterson, who developed Dothraki and High Valyrian for the Game of Thrones series. These languages were not intended for everyday use but were designed to add depth and realism to fictional worlds. The creation of these languages required a deep understanding of linguistics and a commitment to making them pronounceable by actors and consistent with the existing fragments of the language. The result was a new genre of conlangs that were not just tools for communication but works of art in their own right.
The Community of Conlangers
The rise of the internet in the 1990s transformed the world of constructed languages, creating a global community of conlangers who shared their creations and ideas. The Conlang Mailing List, founded in 1991, became a hub for discussion and collaboration, with members sharing translation challenges, feedback, and new languages. This community was diverse, with participants from North America, Europe, Asia, and beyond, and it included both men and women of all ages. The Conlang Mailing List and later online forums like the Zompist Bulletin Board provided a space for conlangers to develop their languages, share their work, and engage in meta-discussion about the philosophy of language construction. The community was not just about creating new languages but also about exploring the nature of language itself, questioning whether the creation of constructed languages was an art or a hobby, and how these languages could be used to express new ideas and perspectives.
The Evolution of Living Languages
When a constructed language gains a community of speakers, it begins to evolve, losing some of its constructed nature and becoming a living language. Modern Hebrew, which was revived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, is an example of this process, as it has undergone considerable changes since the state of Israel was founded in 1948. Similarly, Esperanto, which was designed to be a simple and regular language, has evolved significantly from its original blueprint, with modern editions of the Fundamenta Krestomatio requiring footnotes to explain the differences between early and modern usage. This evolution is a natural part of the life cycle of a language, as speakers adapt the language to their needs and create new forms of expression. The study of this evolution provides valuable insights into the nature of language and the ways in which human communities shape and reshape their means of communication.
The Legal and Cultural Frontier
The question of ownership and intellectual property in constructed languages remains a contentious issue, with legal disputes arising over the use of languages like Klingon and High Valyrian. In a 2015 lawsuit, CBS and Paramount Pictures challenged a fan film project called Axanar, claiming that the Klingon language was part of their intellectual property. However, the Language Creation Society argued that the language itself was not copyrightable, as it was a procedure or system for communication rather than an expression of an idea. This legal uncertainty has led to a situation where the rights to constructed languages are often unclear, with some creators advocating for the free use of their languages while others seek to protect their intellectual property. The debate over ownership reflects broader questions about the nature of language and the ways in which it can be used and controlled, and it continues to shape the future of the conlang community.