Portal:Constructed languages


Introduction

The Conlang Flag, a symbol of language construction created by subscribers to the CONLANG mailing list, which represents the Tower of Babel against a rising sun

A constructed language is a language for communication between humans (i.e. not with or between computers) but unlike a language that emerges from human interaction, is intentionally devised for a particular purpose. Constructed language is often shortened to conlang and is a relatively broad term that encompasses subcategories including: fictional, artificial, engineered, planned and invented. A constructed language may include natural language aspects including phonology, grammar, orthography, and vocabulary. Interlinguistics includes the study of constructed languages. (Full article...)

Selected language

Logo of Neo
Logo of Neo

Neo is an artificially constructed international auxiliary language created by Arturo Alfandari, a Belgian diplomat of Italian descent. The language combines features of Esperanto, Ido, Novial and Volapük. The root base of the language and grammar (in contrast to that of Esperanto and Ido) are closely related to that of the French language, with some English influences.

The first Neo draft was published in 1937 by Arturo Alfandari but attracted wider attention in 1961 when Alfandari published his books Cours Pratique de Neo and The Rapid Method of Neo. The works included both brief and complete grammar, learning course of 44 lectures, translations of literary works (poetry and prose), original Neo literature, scientific and technical texts, idioms, detailed bidirectional French and English dictionaries. The total volume of the publications was 1304 pages, with dictionaries numbering some 75 000 words. Such a degree of details was unprecedented among constructed languages of the time.

The language stands in the tradition of international auxiliary languages such as Esperanto or Ido, with the same goal: a simple, neutral and easy to learn second language for everybody. Neo attracted the interest of the circle around the International Language Review, a periodical for IAL proponents whose publishers co-founded the international Friends of Neo (Amikos de Neo) with Alfandari; the organization also published its bulletin, the Neo-bulten. For a few years it looked like Neo could give some serious competition to Esperanto and Interlingua. Find out more...

Did you know...

...that the Marquis Louis de Beaufront, one of the creators of Ido, was not really a marquis?
...that two different constructed languages have claimed the name Interlingua, and one the name Interlingue?
...that Gottfried Leibniz was not only a famous scientist, but also the creator of a language named Characteristica universalis?

Current events

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Projects

You are invited to participate in WikiProject Constructed languages, a WikiProject dedicated to developing and improving articles about constructed languages.

Things you can do


Here are some Constructed language tasks: Several articles about constructed languages have been deleted for lack of verifiability, independent resources or notability. If you think one of the following subjects meets Wikipedia's criteria for inclusion, don't hesitate dig it up from the graveyard, but don't forget to add proper references:

Articles

Constructed language types

A priori language, Artistic language, Constructed language, Constructed script, Controlled natural language, Engineered language, Experimental language, Fictional language, International auxiliary language, Language game, Logical language, Musical language, Oligosynthetic language, Pasigraphy, Philosophical language, Pivot language, Relexification, Universal language, Whistled language, Zonal auxiliary language (Pan-Germanic, Pan-Romance, Pan-Slavic)

General language types

Agglutinative language, Analytic language, Inflectional language, Fusional language, Isolating language, Polysynthetic language, Synthetic language

See also: Interlinguistics/Cosmoglottics, List of constructed languages, List of constructed scripts, List of constructed languages with Wikipedias


Esperanto flag
Esperanto flag

Languages: Adjuvilo, Afrihili, aUI, Babm, Basic English, Bolak (Blue Language), Budinos, Communicationssprache, Dutton Speedwords, Efatese, Esperanto, Esperanto II, Eurolengo, Europanto, Folkspraak, Français fondamental, Globish, Glosa, Guosa, Idiom Neutral, Ido, Interglossa, Interlingua, Interlingue (Occidental), Interslavic, Intal, Kotava, Langue nouvelle, Latino sine flexione, Lingua Franca Nova, Lingua sistemfrater, Lingwa de planeta, Mondial, Mundolinco, Nal Bino, Neo, Novial, Ortatürk, Pasilingua, Poliespo, Romániço, Romanid, Sambahsa, Slovianski, Slovio, Simplified Technical English, Solresol, Sona, Tutonish, Universal, Universalglot, Uropi, Unish, Volapük

Creators: Arturo Alfandari, Louis de Beaufront, C. George Boeree, Léon Bollack, Claudius Colas, Louis Couturat, Reginald J. G. Dutton, Alexander Gode, Ján Herkeľ, Lancelot Hogben, Otto Jespersen, Arie de Jong, Juraj Križanić, Léopold Leau, Matija Majar, Diego Marani, Elias Molee, Charles Kay Ogden, Giuseppe Peano, Jean Pirro, Waldemar Rosenberger, Joseph Schipfer, Johann Martin Schleyer, Kenneth Searight, Jan van Steenbergen, Paul Steiner, Petro Stojan, François Sudre, Edgar de Wahl, Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof

Language comparisons: Esperanto and Ido, Esperanto and Interlingua, Esperanto and Novial, Ido and Interlingua, Ido and Novial

See also: Arcaicam Esperantom, Esperantido, Proto-Esperanto, Reformed Esperanto


Lojban logo
Lojban logo

Languages: An Essay towards a Real Character and a Philosophical Language, aUI, Blissymbols, Characteristica universalis, CycL, Gibson Code, Ilaksh, Isotype, Ithkuil, Kalaba-X, Láadan, Lincos, Lingua generalis, Loglan, Logopandecteision, Lojban, Loom, Ro, Toki Pona

Creators: Charles K. Bliss, James Cooke Brown, George Dalgarno, René Descartes, Hans Freudenthal, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, Francis Lodwick, Kenneth Lee Pike, John Wilkins

Language comparisons: Lojban and Loglan


Artistic and fictional languages

Languages: Adûnaic, Aklo, Al Bhed, Alltongue, Asa'pili, Ascian, Atlantean, Aulëan, Babel-17, Balaibalan, Baronh, Barsoomian, Belter Creole, Black Speech, Brithenig, Chakobsa, Chorukor, Cirquish, Common Eldarin, Darkovan, D'ni, Doriathrin, Dothraki, Dritok, Enchanta, Enochian, Furbish, Galach, Gargish, Gnommish, Goa'uld, Huttese, Iotic, Kēlen, Khuzdul, Klingon, Klingonaase, Koalang, Kobaïan, Ku, Láadan, The Languages of Pao, Lapine, The Lexicon of Comicana, Linguacode, Loxian, Lydnevi, Mandalorian, Mangani, Marain, Mänti, Mezangelle, Moss, Nadsat, Na'vi, Newspeak, Old Tongue, Pravic, Ptydepe, Quenya, Rihannsu, Shyriiwook, Simlish, Sindarin, Speedtalk, Spocanian, Starckdeutsch, Stark, Starsza Mowa, Syldavian, Taliska, Talossan, Telerin, Teonaht, Tho Fan, Transpiranto, Tsolyáni, Utopian, Vendergood, Verdurian, Valyrian, Wenedyk, Zaum

Scripts: Aurebesh, Cirth, Sarati, Tengwar

Creators: Richard Adams, M. A. R. Barker, Anthony Burgess, Sally Caves, Samuel R. Delany, Suzette Doctolero, Diane Duane, Suzette Haden Elgin, Paul Frommer, Václav Havel, Frank Herbert, Hergé, Madhan Karky, Ursula K. Le Guin, Barry B. Longyear, Hiroyuki Morioka, Marc Okrand, George Orwell, David J. Peterson, Poto and Cabengo, George Psalmanazar, Mark Rosenfelder, David Salo, Andrzej Sapkowski, Jan van Steenbergen, Daniel Tammet, J. R. R. Tolkien, Stanley Unwin, Christian Vander, Xul Solar, Marion Zimmer Bradley

See also: Alien language, Codex Seraphinianus, Elvish languages, False writing system, Languages in Star Wars, Languages constructed by J. R. R. Tolkien (Elvish languages (Middle-earth)), North Slavic languages


Constructed languages for special uses

Languages: Bongo-Bongo, Boontling, Brajabuli, Damin, Eskayan, High Icelandic, Iazychie, International Sign (Gestuno), Kesen dialect, Lingua Ignota, LoCoS, Medefaidrin, Nuwaubic, Palawa kani, Polari, Runyakitara, Tadoma, Timerio, Yerkish

See also: John Lyons, Voynich manuscript


Constructed writing systems for natural languages

Writing systems: Cherokee syllabary, Cree syllabics, Deseret alphabet, Hangul, Landsmål, Nynorsk, Shavian alphabet

Creators: Ivar Aasen, James Evans, William Fulco, Ronald Kingsley Read, Heinrich Schmid, Sequoyah


Organizations and regulating bodies

Akademio de Esperanto, Centre de documentation et d'étude sur la langue internationale, Esperanto Museum and Collection of Planned Languages, International Auxiliary Language Association, International Volapük Academy, Klingon Language Institute, Logical Language Group, Uniono por la Linguo Internaciona Ido


Miscellaneous

A Secret Vice, Bible translations into fictional languages, Conlanger, Conlanging - The Art of Crafting Tongues, Cosmoglottics, Esperantology, Ill Bethisad, Interlinguistics, ISO, SIL, and BCP language codes for constructed languages, Langmaker, Language planning, Language reform, Zompist.com

Associated Wikimedia

The following Wikimedia Foundation sister projects provide more on this subject: