So what's this conlang thing, anyway?

Turns out, it's a deep, deep rabbit hole, and I only recently realized how far down it I'd gone as compared to most people's understanding of the topic - which is to say, they've never heard of it. The reason I didn't notice is that there are a lot of people who are much more deeply into conlanging (as it's put) than I am. My intent in writing my little articles on the subject is as much to inspire myself to return to it as to inform and perhaps interest you in this uniquely geeky topic.

For now I'll just answer the biggest and most common question I get: Why?

My interest in constructed languages began with those made for Middle Earth by J. R. R. Tolkien. More precisely, I became interested in them as a curiosity which turned to wonder when I found that, in truth, Middle Earth was created for his languages! To keep the story short, I later became aware that not only does thought influence language, but language in its own way influences thought. Therefore, understanding why someone says things they way they do is a key to understanding the person behind the words.

Here's a quick, easily-digested taste of some conlangs you've actually heard.


Be sure to have a look at the actual TED page for a bit more!