Building Language Systems

An often overlooked part of developing a world is how people speak, but this is an integral part of creating a new civilization. Phrasing and terminology can show how various societies have gained or lost power in a narrative set in the future. Slang can help to distinguish different groups, cultures, races, species or classes—so can grammar. Languages is directly tied to culture; a few unique words here and there—especially when dealing with abilities, concepts, species and rituals that don't exist in our world—can help to make the world feel real.

For this reason, almost all speculative fiction engages in some level of language system development in a way that other genres do not. The depth of this development varies and generally falls into three broad categories: repurposed, invented and constructed languages (conlangs).

Repurposed Terms

Repurposed terms take existing words and give them a new meaning. These are most often verbs used to describe a magical action that doesn’t exist in the real world. Adjectives are also commonly repurposed to create in-story slang (see Scott Westerfeld's Uglies Series for a great example, especially Pretties).

Choose repurposed terms carefully. Try to pick existing words that are adjacent in meaning to what you are going for. The reason terms like push (for using mind control) and jump (for teleportation) are common is because the English definition is similar to the magical one, making them easy to understand.

With repurposed terms, the goal is to make sure the meaning is clear to the reader. Definite the term (at least for yourself; it doesn't need to be explicitly stated in the manuscript) and use it consistently. Many authors choose to capitalize or italicize these repurposed terms to make it clear they are distinct from the dictionary definition. Sometimes this works and sometimes it’s distracting. The correct choice will depend on how many repurposed terms you're using, how much italicization and capitalization is in the manuscript, and how easily the term can be understood from context.

Note: If a term needs to be distinguished typographically to be understood, then that probably means you haven't done a good job of defining the term and its usage.

Invented Terms

Invented terms are completely new and come from the author’s imagination. These are usually nouns or verbs but can sometimes be adjectives. Invented terms come in two flavours. The first are words that fill a void that an existing language can't, mainly for things that don’t exist in our world: species of plants, animals or other things; abilities; actions; cultural or religious practices; professions or social groups; feelings or emotions. The second is words that have an English equivalent that are used to hint at the presence of a fully developed language. These aren't conlangs because they exist only as a few isolated words, but they can go a long way to making the world of the narrative feel expansive. (See Tamora Pierce's Circle Opens books for lots of examples of invented terms.) Invented terms are often treated like foreign languages and placed in italics.

When inventing terms, consider the sound and look of the word on the page. What kinds of feelings to the sound and look evoke? How difficult will it be for readers to pronounce? How similar is the word to an existing one? When dealing with human cultures, it is a good idea to draw some inspiration from existing languages that speak to the kind of culture you are building. When dealing with alien cultures, words that feel completely alien can help to highlight just how different they are from humans (Octavia Butler's Xenogenesis Series does a great job of this).

While a glossary at the front or back of the manuscript can be helpful, the reader shouldn’t be confused as they are reading. Make sure there is enough context around these words, especially when they are first introduced, for the reader to get the gist.

Personal Names

The naming of characters falls under invented terms. Unlike more general terms, names don't have to carry a specific meaning (although they can). It is more important that the feel of the name matches the character. Consider how the name sounds linguistically and what it looks like on the page. If you are building distinct cultures or groups, make sure there is some consistency of names within each group so it's clear they are all from the same place.

Conlangs

Conlangs (constructed languages) are by far the most complex and involved way of creating a unique way of speaking. Like invented terms, a conlang relies on creating something completely new. However, instead of just focusing on a few terms, conlangs build entire languages complete with their own grammatical rules and construction. Elvish from The Lord of the Rings is an example of a conlang.

Most conlangs won't be as extensive as existing languages and most will follow a regular set of rules (no irregular verbs and the like). The vocabulary is usually limited to several hundred words or less, focusing on themes and concepts that are central to the narrative. How extensive a conlang becomes is largely a factor of how much you like building languages. However, it is best to keep the following in mind:

1. Remember that readers still need to understand what is being said (at least the gist) so be very deliberate with the context conlangs are used in.

2. Reading conlangs is an acquired taste. Many readers will just skip over these parts of the manuscript, so try to avoid long passages. That said, there is definitely a niche readership that loves conlangs, so don't be afraid to use them, especially if that is your target audience.

3. Keep the grammar simple and consistent. Conjugate all the verbs the same, avoid contractions (unless these are built into the base form of the language) and focus on simple sentence construction.

4. Don't be afraid to translate when necessary.

5. Conlangs don't have to be restricted to dialogue, but be careful to not confuse the reader when they end up in prose. The reader still needs to be able to follow what's happening.

   
   

If you're interested in developing a conlang, check out the Conlanger's Library from the Language Creation Society for tips on getting started.

Grammar and Construction

The structure of how people speak is just as important as the words they use. This includes the use of simple, compound or complex sentences; pronoun, article usage and preposition usage; the order of the parts of speech; and verb conjugations. It also includes things like the use of contractions, filler words and adjectives (or lack thereof).

Playing with language construction can result in a full conlang, but could also be an adjustment of the rules of an existing language. This can be as simple as borrowing the rules from one language and applying them to another. For example, applying French subject/verb order to English words to get "the cat pink" instead of "the pink cat."

Conclusion

Language is the basis of all forms of communication. The words we use and how we construct ideas have a direct impact on how we see the world and how the world sees us. This makes language a powerful worldbuilding tool, even if it's something we don't think about because it is so ingrained. This is why a few well chosen words of slang or a phrase or two of a conlang can go a long way in making an imagined world feel real.