Have you ever wanted to create your own alien language? Probably one of the most famous examples of an alien language is that of the Klingons from the Star Trek franchise. The language that was created for a fictional series has crossed over into the realm of reality. Now you can even learn how to speak Klingon yourself if you want to.
In this series of posts, I’m going to discuss different topics that are centered on designing your own alien language. This first post will talk about some of the rules or guidelines you’ll need to determine before you sit down and create your language.
Understanding the Basics
What is a language? Break the concept down to its barest components, and all a language really is, is a meaningful sequence or pattern based on understanding a unique key. Once you determine what that key is, you can create any language that you want. That “key” can be based on text, numbers, sound, color, shapes, non-verbal cues like movements of the body, etc. It can be exceptionally complex or incredibly simple, too.
Often, engineered languages look as if they’ve been created and used in a vacuum because they are, no doubt, easier to record and work with. However, living languages are not static; they constantly shift and change through off-shoots that include slang or dialect. As long as people are speaking and using a language, it will continue to evolve at different rates, which means that everything — from vocabulary to inflection — will change.
The language that you’re creating would be an engineered language based on an alien culture that you have designed, but that doesn’t mean you have to follow your “key” all the time to ensure that everything makes perfect sense. Sometimes, a word you come up with might break the rules or you might find yourself creating a sub-set of rules. Both situations are perfectly normal and might even make your language more realistic. That is, if you care about that sort of thing.
Language May Reflect Culture or Biology
One of the things that you may want to consider is how your alien language might reflect the biological makeup of the aliens you’re either describing or representing. Insect aliens might communicate non-verbally through their feelers, or they might use a series of clicks to talk. Water-based aliens could use a language based on sound because it travels better underwater. These are just two examples, but I’m pretty sure you can figure out others where a creature’s biology might either help or hinder their ability to communicate. If biology provides the question of “how” an alien being will communicate, language is a method that provides the “what.”
Another important question to ask yourself is this: “Why do your aliens communicate with one another?” Your answer will create a rudimentary platform for your language. Let’s say your answer was: “For the basics of survival.” Your engineered alien language probably won’t include complex aspects of daily life like driving an alien ship or engaging in a religious ritual. On the other hand, if your answer was: “To eliminate other alien races and take over the universe,” then your language will get a whole lot more complex.
Different types of culture can also create subtle or major differences within a language. A “proper” form of a language may be used by aristocracy, a religious order or upper class citizens within a society. A cruder form of a language could originate from a poorer, more war-like or less educated district, but it could also exist because a particular area was cut off from the rest of society and hasn’t had the chance to evolve. In some cases, the more common form of a language never gets written down; it may exist only as verbal communication.
Part of the reason why I’m pointing these differences out, is because these nuances are not only reflected in the way a language is written, but also in the way that a language sounds. A more common form will probably sound different, potentially even less complex, than the original portion of the language it was based off of. So, besides asking yourself what you want your alien language to look like on a page, you might want to consider what you want it to sound like once it is spoken, too.
Remember, when you come up with your own language there is no “one” method to do it because you’re coming up with your own rules to base it on. By figuring out a few basics, you’ll be able to follow along in next month’s post when I talk about how you can build the basic structure for your alien language. I hope you’ve got your creative juices flowing!
MONICA VALENTINELLI is a professional author and game designer. Described as a “force of nature” by her peers, Monica is best known for her work in the horror, dark fantasy and dark science fiction genres and has been published through Abstract Nova Press, Eden Studios, White Wolf Publishing, Apex Magazine and others. Her credits include: a short story entitled “Pie” in the award-winning BURIED TALES OF PINEBOX, TEXAS anthology through 12 to Midnight. Her new release, entitled THE QUEEN OF CROWS, is the number one best-selling title at DriveThruHorror.com. For more information about Monica, her work and her contact information, visit MLVWrites.com.
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APEXOLOGY: Horror
Excellent points! Linguistics is my passion. I write fantasy, but I when I need to make up words, I base it in the culture I’ve borrowed from.
A couple other things to keep in mind when creating a language are where that culture is on the evolutionary ladder. The more primitive, the simpler the words, syntax, grammar. And that geographic location will create differnt sorts of idoms.
Ok, I’m shutting up now, because I could go on FOREVER about this stuff!
Thanks for your feedback, Terri-Lynne! There’s going to be a series of these posts so I hope you stick around and chime in, too! :)
As a fascinating sidenote, there’s been a lot of pioneering research in how our Primary Language shapes our thought processes. If you’re interested there’s a great interview with noted pyscholinguist Barbara Schmiedtová that was posted a month or so ago: http://www.radio.cz/en/article/126764
I will be!
When I think of famous languages developed for fiction, my first thought it the languages JRR Tolkien developed, which were much more fully-featured than your example, Klingon. Granted, he didn’t write science fiction, but I generally think of nonhuman races in any subgenre of speculative fiction as being, essentially, aliens.
Tolkien is a good example because he knew, very intimately, the foundations of what makes up language–he was a professional linguist. His son, Christopher, has also done an exemplary job of producing analyses of his writing, but published and non-published.
I don’t agree with Terri-Lynne’s assertion that a more ‘primitive’ culture will produce a simpler language. In fact, there’s a very good chance that a highly advanced culture would produce a very simple language to make acquisition and communication easier and more streamlined. Look at Esperanto, for example. It’s very usable, and also very simple.
@Adam – You’re right. The reason why I didn’t bring him up in this first post was because that’s a better fit for a fantasy site. There are other created languages that I’ll be pointing out in this series, though.
And of course, it goes without saying, that I’m not attempting to be Tolkien. Just being me. :)
[...] because I have to do the same thing for a project I’m working on. The first post is entitled Creating an Alien Language: Your Language, Your Rules and discusses the key points I consider when I think of [...]