Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion
2020 Challenge - Regular
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18 - A book with a made-up language
Kenya wrote: "Out of curiosity, does anyone know if The Hobbit, or There and Back Again contains any of Tolkein's made-up languages, or if he didn't start including those in his work at that point?"I just skimmed through my copy and couldn't find any examples of people speaking different languages or even an acknowledgement that there were different languages. I think he left all of that entirely out of The Hobbit.
People tell me the Hobbit does. I don’t know about back again
Does anyone know if The Witcher series fits this prompt?
Thomas wrote: "I don’t normally stretch prompts but. It says with not in so wouldn’t the Harry Potter books count?"I think this would work perfectly. Parseltongue is made up! Well, to my knowledge, at least :)
I’m going to use Roald Dahl BFG. I think keeping this one simple is best for me.
Who remembers Esperanto? Apparently there are a few books where characters speak it (info from Wikipedia):The Alchemist
Mortal Engines
The Yiddish Policemen's Union
Finnegans Wake
Populärmusik från Vittula
Off to Be the Wizard
It is also the basis of the Wreath's language in the Saga comics.
I remember Esperanto! My brother's accordion teacher (when we were kids) was a big advocate of Esperanto. Popular Music from Vittula is a great book!
Kenya wrote: "Karin wrote: "Scifi has a fair bit of this. A couple of examples are Out of the Silent Planet and The Book of Strange New ThingsThe second one focuses a great deal on..."
I read the Hobbit for the challenge this year and unfortunately the only made up words in it are the names of some of the weapons they pick up along the way
Lexi wrote: "I am having trouble thinking of a book off the top of my head but if you do not like SF or Fantasy, lots of books with twins or close siblings as children have made up languages."Thank you so much for this tip! Now I remember two of the Bluegrass books by Kathleen Brooks mention this fact - so most likely I'll re-read Secrets Collide where the twins' secret language (written) is vital to the plot :-)
Sanna wrote: "Kenya wrote: "Karin wrote: "Scifi has a fair bit of this. A couple of examples are Out of the Silent Planet and The Book of Strange New ThingsThe second one focuses a..."
Okay, that makes sense--most of what I saw mentioned LOTR. I'm not planning on rereading any Tolkein. I have no idea what I'm going to read for this yet, but odds are good I might find a scifi that fits before I have to dig deep on this one, although I go in waves with scifi and might burn out after the Mars books I'm reading which do not feature any made up languages.
Brandon wrote: "Does anyone know if The Witcher series fits this prompt?"I read the first witcher book this year and dont really remember much that wasn't translated to English. Maybe the later books have more.
And the author has an interview in Russian (google offers a decent translation?) which implies that he didn't make up a whole language, just enough to get by.... so i think you're in grey enough territory to say it counts. But it's definitely grey.
I'm probably going to do a re-read of Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban for this prompt. I read it when it first came out and I was in high school, and I remember loving it.
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If you really want to challenge yourself, there is a version of Hamlet that has been translated into Klingon.
I am currently reading Rayuela for the 2019 "choose your own adventure" prompt and discovered that it includes a made-up language, gliglico, which is also approximated in the English version, Hopscotch.
Annie wrote: "Thomas wrote: "I don’t normally stretch prompts but. It says with not in so wouldn’t the Harry Potter books count?"like someone else said, parseltongue should count! but the fifth book also has t..."
Do you mean the fourth book?
Would this one count? They drop letters from the alphabet, though I guess that's not really a made-up language, just modifying an existing one? Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters
Tina wrote: "Would this one count? They drop letters from the alphabet, though I guess that's not really a made-up language, just modifying an existing one? Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters"Based on the amount of this book I read, I'd say not really, but it is an interesting thought! You could use this for the advanced challenge with a book with more than 20 letters in the title :)
Karin wrote: "Tina wrote: "Would this one count? They drop letters from the alphabet, though I guess that's not really a made-up language, just modifying an existing one? [book:Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letter..."and I just realized it counts as a book with a pun in the title! :)
Tina wrote: "Karin wrote: "Tina wrote: "Would this one count? They drop letters from the alphabet, though I guess that's not really a made-up language, just modifying an existing one? [book:Ella Minnow Pea: A N..."Yes, I forgot and I even thought about that the other day! It wasn't my cup of tea, but I have online reading friends who liked it quite a bit.
I just started Spellwright where the whole magic system is based on made up languages. Now the dilemma is do I keep reading it now I've started or should I put it down until January?
Can anyone confirm whether any of the books in the Saga, Vol. 1 series has a made-up language? Or Strange the Dreamer?
Tina wrote: "Would this one count? They drop letters from the alphabet, though I guess that's not really a made-up language, just modifying an existing one? Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters"No.
Maddy wrote: "The Sparrow and its sequel Children of God are lengthy but SO GOOD."I think I might read The Sparrow for this - thanks for the suggestion!
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Nadine wrote: "Embassytown is a very interesting audiobook, because the language is like two voices on top of each other, and they do a good job with that."Denise Cameron wrote: "I'm going with Embassytown town for this one, it sounds really interesting."
Embassytown is an absolutely fantastic book. i read the paperback edition a few years ago, but i love the idea of listening to it in audio. thanks for planting that idea, nadine!
I just discovered a couple books that would fit this prompt:The Kin of Ata Are Waiting for You
The Secret Language (if your up for a children's book)
Rachel wrote: "Can anyone confirm whether any of the books in the Saga, Vol. 1 series has a made-up language? Or Strange the Dreamer?"Saga should count. The Saga series includes Esperanto, which is a major con-lang, it just wasn't created for this book.
Also, Saga is brilliant.
This article lists the handset language used in A Visit from the Goon Squad as made up. Would it count?
I am reading Semiosis right now, and it has a made up language. Maybe Interference does also so I can read it next year for this prompt.
Kayla wrote: "Shadow and Bone The Grisha trilogy has a made up language!"So does Six of Crows, which also has a map!
Would Neuromancer would for this prompt? A coworker gave it to me to read and said that there was a made up language in kind of similar to A Clockwork Orange
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I read that when it first came out and I really liked it, but it's been so long I can't remember any details!!! If your coworker said it counts, then ... read it in good faith, right? Sometimes when I THINK a book will count, but I read it and find out it doesnt' really work, I count it anyway - I mean, I specifically chose it to fit the category, and you can't always know in advance for some of these!!
Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon has a made up language comprised more of sounds to us, but written out as if it were speech, so it depends on how strict you are. It's a language, but the sounds are written out using English words to show them, eg"Uhoo," Bluecloak said, pointing to make it clear. "Click-kaw-keerrr."
She was the click-kaw-keerrr... "She" is the human in the scene and Bluecloak is how she's thinking of the alien being.
Stephen wrote: "Rachel wrote: "Can anyone confirm whether any of the books in the Saga, Vol. 1 series has a made-up language? Or Strange the Dreamer?"Saga should count. The Saga s..."
What is con-lang?? And is there a specific book in the Saga series where the language is used, or would any of them work?
Stephen wrote: "The Saga series includes Esperanto, which is a major con-lang, it just wasn't created for this book."I'm pretty sure Esperanto is a real language. Wikipedia says it's spoken internationally by around 2 million people, and it's used in books, TV, radio, etc.
Drakeryn wrote: "Stephen wrote: "The Saga series includes Esperanto, which is a major con-lang, it just wasn't created for this book."I'm pretty sure Esperanto is a real language. Wikipedia says it's spoken inter..."
Esperanto is a real language, but it is madeup. It is a constructed language that was meant to be an international language for all to speak. So it isn´t what you call a natural language (developed within a group of people over time). I think of Esperanto as the mothership of all madeup languages :)
Quote from wikipedia: "Esperanto is the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. It was created by L. L. Zamenhof in 1887, when he published a book detailing the language, Unua Libro ("First Book"), under the pseudonym "Dr. Esperanto". The word esperanto translates into English as "one who hopes".
Zamenhof's goal was to create an easy and flexible language that would serve as a universal second language to foster world peace and international understanding, and to build a community of speakers, as he believed that one could not have a language without such a community."
Lynn wrote: "Would My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry 
by Fredrik Backman fit this prompt?"I don´t recall any madeup language. But maybe someone else read it more recently.
Rachel wrote: "Stephen wrote: "Rachel wrote: "...What is con-lang???..."I think con-lang is just short for constructed language.
Johanne wrote: "Esperanto is a real language, but it is madeup. It is a constructed language that was meant to be an international language for all to speak. So it isn´t what you call a natural language (developed within a group of people over time)."Ah, I see. Thanks for the explanation.
For this prompt, I interpret "made up" to mean "imaginary." I wouldn't use it to mean "constructed by humans" because every language is constructed by humans (even though I get the distinction you're drawing between Esperanto and other languages). But that's just my interp, your mileage may vary, etc.
I get your point, and I guess it's a question of interpretation and you could take it either way and still be faithful to the prompt.
Drakeryn wrote: "Stephen wrote: "The Saga series includes Esperanto, which is a major con-lang, it just wasn't created for this book."I'm pretty sure Esperanto is a real language. Wikipedia says it's spoken inter..."
This is a tough one, but given that it is based primarily on Latin roots, I wouldn't count this in the flavour of the "made up languages" Yes, t technically it was constructed on purpose in 1887 by LL Zhamenhof whereas most languages around the world were no, but it wasn't made up out of nothing.
Klingon, OTOH, started with gibberish but developed into a constructed language.
That said, often Star Trek names are real ones from different countries. For example the Borg are named after the Swedish name Borg which means fortress or castle (think of the real life tennis Player Bjorn Borg--is name literally means Bear Fortress). Odo is an Old English Name, Soren (a character in a Next Generation episode) is a Scandinavian name, etc.
Not that I ever watched any Star Trek! Okay, I did, of course, but I am not a Trekkie and don't know all of the trivia, haven't seen every episode of any of the series and haven't watched any in years.
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss has a few made up languages.
Tracey wrote: "I took this prompt to mean a made up language created by the author especially for a particular book."Same here.
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Books mentioned in this topic
Desperation (other topics)Terra (other topics)
The Search for WondLa (other topics)
Ella Enchanted (other topics)
The Kin of Ata Are Waiting for You (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Mitch Benn (other topics)Alice Walker (other topics)
Jonathan Swift (other topics)
Fredrik Backman (other topics)
Maggie Stiefvater (other topics)
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The second one focuses a great deal on..."
According to this website, yes to The Hobbit https://tolkienlanguages.fandom.com/w..., but his most developed one, Elvish, showed up in LOTR. I couldn't remember.