Imaginary Languages

More about the book

This exploration delves into the practice of inventing languages, encompassing everything from religious speaking in tongues to utopian visions of universality and modern linguistic discoveries. Marina Yaguello investigates the history and practice of creating languages, focusing on those that are autonomous systems, distinct from natural and historically attested languages, and born from individual creativity meant for communal use. She emphasizes that language inventors are deeply enamored with their creations, which they share with a community. Yaguello examines the origins of these imaginary languages in myths, dreams, and utopias, guiding readers through literary inventions from the sixteenth to the twentieth century, including More’s Utopia and Leibniz’s conceptual frameworks. She also explores the linguistic fantasies of figures like Georgian linguist Nikolai Marr and Swiss medium Hélène Smith, alongside the pursuit of a true philosophical language. Throughout her analysis, Yaguello identifies two contrasting themes: the rich diversity of linguistic experiences versus the unifying aspirations of language, highlighting features common to all languages that support the universalist hypothesis. In recent years, there has been a resurgence in invented languages, whether for international communication or as part of science fiction. Yaguello's work illustrates that the act of language invention is ultimately a passionate,