The Weird History of Invented Languages

The video explores constructed languages (conlangs), their creation, and their impact on culture and linguistics. It highlights famous conlangers like JRR Tolkien and Mark Okrent, who created languages for artistic purposes. The video also discusses attempts to create universal languages, such as Esperanto, and engineered languages for theoretical purposes, like Log Land. Despite challenges, conlangs reveal much about human language and creativity.

What is a key characteristic of constructed languages?

• They have no grammatical structure.

• They evolve naturally over time.

• They are only spoken in fictional worlds.

• They are designed by individuals.

Which famous author is known for creating Elvish languages?

• George R.R. Martin

• Isaac Asimov

• C.S. Lewis

• J.R.R. Tolkien

What unique feature did Mark Okrent include in the Klingon language?

• A simple grammar structure

• A focus on musicality

• An unusual sentence structure

• A large vocabulary for greetings

What was the main goal of Bishop John Wilkins' universal language?

• To develop a language for scientific use

• To simplify existing languages

• To encode the essence of concepts into words

• To create a language for artistic expression

What is Esperanto known for?

• Being the first constructed language

• Having a complex grammar

• Being easy to learn

• Being used in Star Trek

What hypothesis did Benjamin Whorf propose about language?

• Language is purely a cultural construct

• Language is universally understood

• Language limits perception and cognition

• Language has no impact on thought

What was the purpose of creating Loglan?

• To develop a universal language

• To create a language for a TV show

• To test the Whorf hypothesis

• To simplify communication

What challenge did Loglan face in its community?

• Complex grammar

• Community disagreements

• Lack of interest

• No practical application

What is a common theme in the evolution of conlangs?

• They remain unchanged over time

• They are controlled by their creators

• They evolve to meet user needs

• They are universally accepted

What do conlangs reveal about our perception of language?

• They demonstrate language's simplicity

• They prove language is unnecessary

• They highlight language's beauty and limitations

• They show language is static