Harden Elkington
Natural languages are those that have grown naturally within a community of speakers, with a shared culture, to assist communication.
They are psycholinguistic bodies of knowledge held in people’s minds at the individual level. At the societal level, they are passed from one generation to the next via well-documented psychosocial and sociolinguistic processes and are constantly evolving.
In contrast, constructed languages are languages that have been consciously created by an individual or group of individuals with a specific purpose in mind.
They may be used for international communication, for example, as a second language to help people learn English more easily, or they may be designed for use in a particular domain such as mathematics or computer programming.
The difference between natural and constructed languages
The difference between natural and constructed languages is not simply a matter of how long they have been in use.
Natural languages are essentially arbitrary, whereas many constructed languages have a logical structure that makes them easier to learn than natural languages.
The grammar of a natural language is often difficult for learners to grasp because it is not always logical. For instance, the English verb “to be” can be used in a number of different tenses, each of which has a unique meaning.
In contrast, the grammar of a constructed language is usually much simpler and more logical.
Another difference between natural and constructed languages is that natural languages are constantly evolving, whereas constructed languages remain static.
This means that the vocabulary of a natural language may change over time, as new words are added and old words fall out of use.
In contrast, the vocabulary of a constructed language is fixed and does not change.
Finally, natural languages are spoken by millions of people all over the world, whereas constructed languages are spoken by relatively few people.
This is because natural languages have evolved over a long period of time and are therefore more complex than constructed languages.
What is an example of a constructed language?
There are several constructed languages, including:
Esperanto
Esperanto is an example of a constructed language. It was created by L.L. Zamenhof in 1887 with the goal of providing a universal second language that would be easy to learn for people from all cultures.
Today, there are estimated to be about 2 million Esperanto speakers worldwide.
Klingon
Klingon is a constructed language that was developed for the Star Trek TV series and movies. It is based on the fictional Klingon empire and has a unique grammar and vocabulary.
There are estimated to be about 10,000 Klingon speakers worldwide.
Loglan
Loglan is a constructed language that was created in 1955 by Dr. James Cooke Brown. It is designed to be easy to learn and understand, with simple grammar and a limited vocabulary.
There are estimated to be about 2,000 Loglan speakers worldwide.
Dothraki
Dothraki is a constructed language that was developed for the TV series Game of Thrones. It is based on the fictional Dothraki people and has a unique grammar and vocabulary.
There are estimated to be about 500 Dothraki speakers worldwide.
What is the purpose of constructed language?
The purpose of a constructed language may be to help people learn a foreign language more easily or to facilitate communication in a particular domain such as mathematics or computer programming.
Some constructed languages have been designed for international communication and can be used to help people learn English more easily.
Other constructed languages are designed for use in specific domains, such as medicine or law.
Can a natural language be artificially changed?
It is possible to artificially change a natural language, but this is not always easy to do. For example, it is possible to add new words to the vocabulary of a natural language or to change the meaning of an existing word.
However, it is much more difficult to change the grammar of a natural language, because this is determined by the way that the language has evolved over a long period of time.
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Can invented languages become naturally acquired?
In theory, it is possible for an invented language to become a natural language, but this is unlikely to happen. This is because natural languages evolve over a long period of time and are complex systems that are not easy to replicate.
In contrast, invented languages are usually simple systems that are designed for a specific purpose. Therefore, it is unlikely that an invented language will ever become a natural language.
Summary
Natural languages are constantly evolving, whereas constructed languages remain static.
The vocabulary of a natural language may change over time, as new words are added and old words fall out of use. In contrast, the vocabulary of a constructed language is fixed and does not change.
Natural languages are spoken by millions of people all over the world, whereas constructed languages are spoken by relatively few people.
This is because natural languages have evolved over a long period of time and are therefore more complex than constructed languages.
The purpose of a constructed language may be to help people learn a foreign language more easily or to facilitate communication in a particular domain such as mathematics or computer programming.
Some constructed languages have been designed for international communication and can be used to help people learn English more easily.
Other constructed languages are designed for use in specific domains, such as medicine or law.
It is possible to artificially change a natural language, but this is not always easy to do. For example, it is possible to add new words to the vocabulary of a natural language or to change the meaning of an existing word.
However, it is much more difficult to change the grammar of a natural language, because this is determined by the way that the language has evolved over a long period of time.
