What are conlangers? Thanks for asking !
A conlanger is a person who creates one or more constructed languages. These are different to most languages in that they are devised for a particular purpose, rather than evolving naturally. Most notable examples come from science fiction or fantasy franchises, like Lord of the Rings and Star Trek. Their depicted characters often communicate in constructed languages.
A first impression might lead us to believe that the incomprehensible words we hear are just a series of meaningless sounds. But in reality, these languages can actually be spoken. They have syntax, grammar and all the other necessary ingredients to be considered a language.
So could we learn a constructed language in the same way as we would learn Italian for example ?
David Peterson is one of the most well-known conlangers out there. He started out his career as a linguist and has invented 13 languages over the years, including the dothraki language spoken in Game of Thrones. HBO hired the Language Creation Society in anticipation of the series launch, and Peterson came through a competitive application process to be selected.
In several interviews Peterson has explained that the most difficult part of being a conlanger is deciding whether a particular word should exist or not. For example, the nomadic dothraki warriors don’t carry around smartphones or books with them when going into battle. So there was no need to invent a word for those objects. On the other hand, they do have 14 different words for horse.
Peterson created the roots of the language by playing around and combining letters with sounds. After building up a small amount of vocabulary, he scribbled down basic sentences, then added suffixes and prefixes to increase the number of words.
But what's the point of inventing a language that won't survive to be used in everyday life ? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions !
If you want to know what are conlangers in french : https://podcasts.ba-ba-bam.com/maintenant-vous-savez/202003280600-quest-ce-quun-conlanger.html
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