The Dothraki language used in the HBO series Game of Thrones was created by linguist David J. Peterson, one of the founders of the Language Creation Society. Using just a handful of words and names coined by George R. R. Martin, the author of the book series the show is based on, Peterson built a complete language system (including grammar, syntax, and vocabulary). According to the Social Security Administration, in 2013, 241 parents named their daughters Khaleesi, the Dothraki word for “queen.” An introduction to the language is available at www.livinglanguage.com /dothraki. Athchomarchomakann! POPSOC Photo: © HBO/courtesy Everett Collection Even though it is possible to construct languages for fun, throughout human history the most basic purpose of language has been to enable us to make sense of the world around us in communication with others. Once we internalize and use a language, its structure and vocabulary shapes our perception of reality and therefore also our actions. This insight is known as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis (after linguists Edward Sapir and Benjamin Whorf) or the linguistic relativity hypothesis. It implies that our understanding of reality is not strictly determined by nature, but more so by the tools available to us in the languages we use. In a literal sense, language may color how we see the world. Anthropologist Brent Berlin and linguist Paul Kay (1991) noted that humans possess the physical ability to make millions of color distinctions, yet languages differ in the number of colors they recognize. For example, the English language distinguishes between yellow and orange, but some other languages do not. In the Dugum Dani language of New Guinea’s West Highlands, there are only two basic color terms— modla for “white” and mili for “black.” (Roberson, Davies, and Davidoff 2000; Wierzbicka 2008). During the 20th century, other language inventors, driven in part by a desire to come to terms with globalization and increased contact across cultures, combined various aspects of existing languages. Their goal was to create a universally accepted language that would transcend national and ethnic differences. Rather than focus on purity of representation, such inventors emphasized pragmatic communication. The most successful language of this type was Esperanto, which continues to be used today. It was originally created by Ludwik Zamenhof in 1887 and literally means “one who hopes.” It was Zamenhof’s hope that his hybrid language would not only facilitate international commerce and communication but also contribute to world peace by reducing the cultural differences that separate us. In spite of the relative success of Esperanto, none of these invented languages has achieved widespread adoption. Part of what such attempts seem to miss is that language is a community endeavor built up over generations of shared experiences that lead to common understandings of how the world works. Though it is technically possible to create a language from scratch, doing so undercuts the importance that such experiences have in shaping who we are. As linguist Arika Okrent put it in her history of Sapir-Whorf hypothesis The structure and vocabulary of language shapes our perception of reality and therefore also our actions. invented languages, “Languages are the repositories of our very identities. . . . Esperanto, along with other invented languages, asks us to turn away from what makes our languages personal and unique and choose one that is generic and universal. It asks us to give up what distinguishes us from the rest of the world for something that makes everyone in the world the same” (Okrent 2009:112). To the extent that Esperanto has succeeded, it has done so by creating a community of shared participants who are committed to keeping the language alive. A more recent wave of constructed languages comes mostly from hobbyists, known as “conlangers,” who view the construction of a complete, functioning language as a challenge. The inspiration for these attempts often traces back to J. R. R. Tolkien’s creation of Elvish for the Lord of the Rings book trilogy. Tolkien was a philologist—one who studies the history, structure, and criticism of language—and he used this knowledge to ensure that his constructed languages followed common linguistic patterns and practices. Due to the level of technical detail required, many recent conlangers are often similarly trained, such as Marc Okrand who created Klingon for the Star Trek movie franchise (see www.kli.org) and Paul Frommer who created the Na’vi language used in the film Avatar (see www.LearnNavi.org). 52 • SOC 2016 © Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage/Getty Images
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