The Ultimate Constructed Languages Quiz

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Flashcards

9 Questions

What is a constructed language (conlang)?

What are some reasons for creating a constructed language?

What is the difference between a planned language and a constructed language?

What is the difference between 'planned', 'constructed', and 'artificial' in some traditions?

What are the different categories of constructed languages?

Can a constructed language have native speakers?

What happens to a constructed language when it has a community of fluent speakers?

What is an a priori constructed language?

What is the most successful auxiliary language?

Summary

Consciously Devised Language - Key Points:

  • A constructed language (conlang) is consciously devised for a purpose, rather than developing naturally.

  • Reasons for creating a constructed language include ease of communication, adding realism to fiction, experimentation in linguistics/cognitive science/machine learning, artistic creation, and language games.

  • The expression "planned language" is used to indicate international auxiliary languages and other languages designed for actual use in human communication.

  • The terms "planned", "constructed", and "artificial" are used differently in some traditions.

  • Fictional or experimental languages can be considered naturalistic if they model real world languages.

  • Constructed languages can be divided into international auxiliary languages, artistic languages, engineered languages, philosophical languages, and experimental languages.

  • A constructed language can have native speakers if young children learn it from parents who speak it fluently.

  • As soon as a constructed language has a community of fluent speakers, it begins to evolve and hence loses its constructed status.

  • Proponents of constructed languages often have many reasons for using them, such as ease of expression, easier learning, and testing grammatical rules.

  • Codes for constructed languages include the ISO 639-2 "art" for conlangs.

  • An a priori constructed language is one whose features are not based on an existing language, whereas an a posteriori language is the opposite.

  • The earliest non-natural languages were considered less "constructed" than "super-natural", mystical, or divinely inspired.A Brief History of Constructed Languages

  • Trithemius attempted to show how all languages can be reduced to one

  • In the 17th century, magical languages were continued by the Rosicrucians and alchemists

  • Musical languages from the Renaissance were tied up with mysticism, magic and alchemy

  • The 17th century saw the rise of projects for "philosophical" or "a priori" languages

  • The 19th century saw a bewildering variety of International Auxiliary Languages proposed

  • The most successful auxiliary language was Esperanto

  • Loglan (1955) and its descendants constitute a pragmatic return to the aims of the a priori languages

  • Robot Interaction Language (2010) is a spoken language that is optimized for communication between machines and humans

  • Some people construct languages for literary enjoyment or aesthetic reasons without any claim of usefulness

  • Ownership of constructed languages is contentious

  • The Conlang Mailing List was founded in 1991 and has developed its own community of conlangers

  • Online communities include the Zompist Bulletin Board (ZBB; since 2001) and the Conlanger Bulletin Board

Description

Test your knowledge on constructed languages with this quiz! Learn about the different types of constructed languages, their purposes, and their history. From international auxiliary languages to artistic languages, see how much you know about this fascinating topic. Discover the codes used for constructed languages and the controversies surrounding their ownership. Take the quiz and challenge yourself to become a conlang expert!

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