One of the most interesting aspects of fantasy works is the
fact that they take place in worlds of their own, with the potential for
entirely new life-forms, cultures, and languages. A few fantasy authors have
capitalized on this unique opportunity by going so far as to create their own
language(s) to populate their fantasy world. Of course, J.R.R. Tolkien stands
as an eminent example of such a practice.
In today’s blog post, I’d like to examine first of all
whether it’s worthwhile to create a language/languages for your world, and
second of all provide you with some resources in case you are interested in
creating languages. So, without further ado, let’s begin.
Pros:
- Languages provide depth: There’s nothing that proclaims the hard work and seriousness of your story than a language. Adding a unique fantasy language adds an immediate dose of credibility to your story that your readers may enjoy.
- Languages add believability to characters and settings: Languages can be invaluable tools for developing various unique civilizations and cultures in your story. Also, individual characters may be better described and recognized based on the language(s) that they speak.
- Languages can be fun to create: This one’s pretty self-explanatory—languages are a fun break from the grind of churning out a rough draft or meticulously editing your manuscript. Just don’t get so caught up in languages that you neglect the story itself!
- Languages are important biblically: The account of the tower of Babel tells of a time in which everyone spoke one language and “nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.” (Gen 11:6) Recognizing the power of language, God created different languages, causing people to be scattered and divided throughout the earth. In short, languages have power biblically. Don’t underestimate this power in your story!
Cons:
- Languages are time-consuming to create: It takes a lot of effort and time to come up with a unique language, especially if you use a distinct alphabet. Tolkien himself began the work of creating his elvish languages in his teen years, and the project was still in progress in his forties. Be aware that this isn’t a project to take lightly!
- Languages don’t advance the plot and rarely help to create better characters: While languages do have some role in the story as part of the setting, they are not usually instrumental to the progress of the plot itself. They also don’t usually add to the believability of characters, since other elements—such as their likes, their dislikes, and their interests—are more essential to readers’ knowledge of characters. So don’t let languages become too much of a priority.
- Languages require explanation and can distract from the overall story: Let’s be honest here—foreign languages slow the action down. They should be used sparingly, if at all. Be sure to weigh the benefit of adding depth to the cost of slowing down the story before you insert any languages into the story!
With that analysis behind us, let me point you to some
resources in case you would be interested in creating languages.
The Language Construction Kit: a very helpful resource for
those trying to create an artificial language. You can use the resources in as
much or as little depth as you wish.
Language Creation Society: if you’re really serious about creating a language, they have some helpful resources on their website. Be warned—it’s not for the faint of heart!
Discussion Thread on Creating Phonetic Systems: You may have
heard me mention the HolyWorlds forums once or twice on this blog. That’s
because they contain many, many helpful discussions on topics relevant to
Christian fantasy writers—including this particular easy-to-understand guide to
creating languages and phonetic systems.
Article on How Language Affects Behavior: this article by
Stanford researcher Lera Boroditsky highlights examples of how the language you
speak affects how you see the world and how you behave. Although it’s not
directly related to creating languages, it is very fascinating to skim if you
have a few minutes to spare.
And that brings us to the end of today’s post. Now it’s your
turn: have you ever tried inventing a language? How did it go? Any advice on
how to include languages in your fantasy story?
