Historical Uses of Invented Languages
Philosophers and Universal Languages: In the past, many invented languages were driven by a desire to improve communication and understanding. For example: Esperanto (1887): L. L. Zamenhof created Esperanto as a universal language to promote international peace and understanding. This was a serious, idealistic ambition.
Logical Languages: Philosophers such as Gottfried Leibniz in the 17th century dreamed of a universal, logical language that could replace natural languages, often seen as confusing and imperfect.
Religion and Mysticism: Invented languages were also used in religious or mystical contexts. An example is Enochian, an "angelic language" that John Dee and Edward Kelley claimed was given to them by supernatural beings in the 16th century. These languages were often considered sacred or symbolic and therefore treated very seriously.
Motives Behind Earlier Invented Languages
Earlier invented languages often had greater philosophical, political, or practical goals than many modern conlangs:
Practical Ambitions: Many invented languages were created to overcome communication barriers, especially during the Industrial Revolution and subsequent globalization. Esperanto and Volapük are good examples.
Idealistic Dreams: There was a strong belief that language could shape society and create peace. This made the work of such languages deeply meaningful to their creators.
Modern Invented Languages
Today, invented languages are often associated with entertainment, creativity, and popular culture:
Pop Culture Dominance: Many of today's most famous invented languages, such as Klingon (from Star Trek), Dothraki (from Game of Thrones), and Quenya or Sindarin (from The Lord of the Rings), are created for fictional universes. They serve primarily as aesthetic elements in a narrative, not as tools for changing the world.
Hobbyism: Many modern language enthusiasts create languages as a creative hobby, without the practical or idealistic ambitions that characterized earlier projects.
Technological Support: Thanks to the internet and digital tools, the creative processes of modern conlangers can be more informal, accessible, and shared through communities like Reddit or conlang forums. This lowers the threshold for "trying it out" without necessarily dedicating one's life to it.
Changes in society's view of language
From idealism to individualism: While earlier invented languages were often aimed at improving society (universal languages or philosophical languages), modern projects are often more self-expressive or artistic.
Scientific Progress: Linguistics as a discipline has developed considerably. Today, we know more about the complexity of natural languages, which makes it clear how difficult it is to create a language that can replace natural languages or function as a universal communication tool. This may have dampened ambitions.
Are people today less serious?
Not necessarily: People are still dedicated to invented languages, but their ambitions have changed. The work of modern linguists and hobbyists who create elaborate languages for fiction is impressive, but the purpose is often more aesthetic or cultural than philosophical or political.
Influence of popular culture: Because many invented languages are created for entertainment, they can be perceived as less serious compared to earlier times when language was often tied to large societal projects.
Conclusion
Earlier invented languages were often associated with ambitious goals of improving communication, uniting the world, or exploring philosophy and religion, which gave them a sense of seriousness. Today, many invented languages are designed for creative expression and entertainment, which may seem less serious but still require considerable effort and skill.
The difference, then, lies not in the dedication to the languages, but in the motives behind them. Modern language projects have a different focus, but they are still an expression of the human ability to create and experiment with language.
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