Experimental language explained

An experimental language is a constructed language designed for linguistics research, often on the relationship between language and thought.

One particular assumption having received much attention in fiction is popularly known as the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis. The claim is that the structure of a language somehow affects the way its speakers perceive their world, either strongly, in which case "language determines thought" (linguistic determinism), or weakly, in which case "language influences thought" (linguistic relativity). (For a list of languages that are merely mentioned, see the relevant section in List of constructed languages.)

The extreme case of the strong version of the hypothesis would be the idea that words have a power inherent to themselves such that their use determines not just our thoughts, but even that which our thoughts are about, i.e. reality itself.

Languages exploring the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis

Constructed languages

Fictional languages

Named

Unnamed

Counterexamples

Languages exploring other linguistic aspects

Several constructed languages are closer to the oligosynthetic type than any attested natural languages:

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Wolfe, Gene . 1998 . The book of the new sun . registration . SFBC . New York . 776. 9781568658070 .
  2. Web site: Fith – FrathWiki . 24 July 2016.
  3. Web site: Gorbiel 1.1 . 26 May 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110713123048/http://lingvo.jtusz.com/gorbiel/specs/ . 13 July 2011 . dead .
  4. Web site: A Grammar of the language Lin . 26 May 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070303233352/http://www.iiap.res.in/personnel/srik/Lin.html . 3 March 2007 . dead .
  5. Web site: Pleistocenese – A language of 40,000 BC . 24 July 2016.
  6. Web site: Europan – The decipherment of Non-Linear B . 24 July 2016.
  7. Web site: Classical Yiklamu . 24 July 2016.