Do you know a thing or two about fantasy languages? Language is a fascinating science and art and those of us who study or work with it in different ways know that there are no limits to its nooks and crannies or rules, regulations, and total disregard for both. Here’s a list of weird language facts that might help you in your next trivia night.
Need a translation? Contact us
1. There’s Approximately 7,117 Living Languages in 2019
Thanks to the internet and the millions of language lovers around the world, we can conserve spoken languages more and more as well as discover new languages.
What constitutes as a dialect?
That is the question that professionals are constantly trying to answer, however due to the flux nature of language, and how it is living and evolves with us, it is hard to box in exactly what a language should be.
What are Emojis if not the new hieroglyphics? And who should say whether LOL and YOLO belong in the dictionary? So, we might not have an exact number, but it’s a rough estimate of over 7,000. However of those 7,117 languages, only 23 account for more than half of the world’s population!
2. Fictional Languages
Which of these is not like the rest?
a. Ishkashimi
b. Klingon
c. Dothraki
d. Na’vi
The answer is A. Ishkashimi! Klingon is a fictional language from the Star Trek Universe. Dothraki is spoken in Game of Thrones. Na’vi is the language spoken in the Avatar movie. Which leaves Ishkashimi, a rare Iranian language spoken predominantly in the Badakhshan Province in Afghanistan and in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region in Tajikistan. The text translation of rare languages is impossible to do with online translators. However, with over 200 languages made up for books, tv, and movies, it probably isn’t impossible to find an online translator for at least one of the fantasy languages.
3. Making Up a Language is Easier Than You Think
Speaking of fantasy languages, coming up with a brand-new language for fictional novels, TV, or film might not be as complicated as you think. The three main points are sound, alphabet, and grammar.
It shouldn’t actually take much to invent a new language, as the average person uses only a few hundred words in day-to-day conversation.
4. Non-Verbal Languages
Have you ever thought about languages that do not entail verbal speaking? Off the coast of Spain they speak “La Gomera” which is a language consisting of whistles. In Botswana there is a language that is made of essentially five primary click sounds. There are also over 300 different types of sign language in the world and not all of them are necessarily deaf sign language.
5. The Secret Language of Twins
Have you ever heard of Cryptophasia? This refers to a language phenomenon that only happens with twins. It’s a secret language developed before actual speech that only the two of them understand. Up to 50% of twins have their own language that they use to communicate, completely unique to each pair and unintelligible to the rest of us.
There you have five phenomenal facts about language. The list could probably go on! Tell us your favorite language fact in the comment section!
Master Language Learning with Mosalingua
With Mosalingua's platform, you can immerse yourself in Spanish, French, Japanese, and more. Learn independently, while also benefiting from a committed team's support, ensuring continuous motivation and expert guidance every step of the way. With an impressive 4.5/5 ★ rating on the app and endorsements from Cosmopolitan, HuffPost, and Mashable, join the thriving community of language learners who rely on Mosalingua as their comprehensive solution for fast and effective language acquisition.
This website may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you click on or make a purchase through the link.
