Tthis project is about atificial languages I was insksdd1wew nb cz bsafp Tthis project is about atificial languages I was inskpssdsaxcxz12saf73 121dsds
Elvish & Klingon: Transitivity in constructed languages
Selecting sources
Choosing which textual pieces to be analyzed for each constructed language required researching the history and development of these artificial
languages.
Abstract:
This research project explores the implementation of Hallidayan transitivity on works written in the artistic, a priori constructed languages of
Elvish and Klingon. Both languages are a priori languages, meaning that they include no vocabulary from natural languages. Additionally each
language serves an artistic purpose, further complementing the immense lore of the fictional universes of Middle-Earth and Star Trek. Aside from
their generic similarities, each represents opposite phone-aesthetics, grammar and imagined cultures. Transitivity refers to the difference between
transitive and intransitive verbs, as transitive verbs may take one or many direct objects, depending on the verb. As a tool, the transitive analysis
was born from the systemic functional linguistics model primarily developed by linguist Michael Halliday. This analysis is used to understand the
relationship between transitivity and the specific semiotic process conveyed in a verbal clause. Via coding of these specific verbal clauses in
selected Elvish and Klingon sources, it is suggested by this analysis that regardless of the a priori nature of these constructed languages, they
explore little new ground when it comes to semiotic processes. This research contributes to the greater discussion of constructed vs natural
languages, specifically artificial languages and their ability to mimic the deep processes of natural languages.
Constructed Languages:
Results:
Tolkien a philologist by profession kept decades of language construction
notes, the effect of this being a real change in his languages over time.
He created many languages so choosing between which types of Elvish to analyze became a primary concern. These languages are all interconnected in a semi-realistic fashion to simulate real language evolution. Quenya, the form of Elvish I chose for this analysis resides at the top of
Tolkien’s language family. Quenya was chosen because it is the language of the three poems Oilima Markirya, Nieninqe, and Earendel which were
published by Tolkien himself in A Secret Vice. This article piece on constructed languages features an earlier form of Quenya, but one undisturbed
by Tolkien scholars who revised Quenya into Neo-Quenya upon the posthumous release of Tolkien’s notebooks.
Klingon was created by Marc Okrand, whose close work with the Klingon speaking community has created a singular accepted form of Klingon.
Klingon was initially created on set by Okrand and he has been active in the community ever since. So choosing which type of Klingon was of no
issue, in fact the difficult aspect was choosing which sources to use for the Klingon part of the analysis. Little canonical Klingon text exist in
comparison to Elvish, the difference in medium (Tolkien wrote the Lord of the Rings saga, Klingon is from Star Trek a mainly television-movie
based series) is probably to blame. I was able to use The Warriors Anthem, Dirge for Kor the Dahar Master and a Klingon Drinking Song for my
analysis. These were transliterated by the community from movies, episodes and other Star Trek media.
“A planned or constructed language (sometimes called a conlang) is a language whose phonology, grammar, and vocabulary have been
consciously devised for human or human-like communication, instead of having developed naturally. It is also referred to as an artificial or
invented language.”
Constructed languages are split between two initial branches, those being a-priori and a-posterior. A priori constructed languages have no
vocabulary from other languages in them, a posteriori languages are the opposite as they do contain vocabulary from existing natural languages.
Within both of these branches exist three subtypes of constructed languages, those being engineered, auxiliary and artistic languages.
Engineered languages (engelangs) are those conceived for philosophical or experimental purposes.
Auxiliary languages (auxlangs) are created for international communication.
Artistic languages (artlangs) are built for aesthetic or story telling purposes
QUENYA & Klingon:
Quenya and Klingon are two ‘artlangs’ from different fictional universes. Quenya is known for being an ancient Elvish language in the Lord of
the Rings saga. The language was created by J.R.R Tolkien, famed author and renowned inventor of languages. Quenya represents a language
of ritual for the Elves, filling similar cultural space in Middle Earth as Latin does in Europe. Klingon was created by Marc Okrand for the
fictional Klingon species, a space faring race humanity encounters while exploring the Alpha Quadrant in the Star Trek series.
Klingon and Quenya share some foundational creative elements:
-a-priori, artistic constructed languages
-designed for near-human creatures (creatures with similar phonological equipment to humans, thus making these languages phonetically
possible for human speakers)
-created with the intent of world building, or exploring the languages speakers culture further
Besides their conceptual similarities they have little in common as languages, making them good candidates for this analysis.
-opposite phonetics, Quenya being based upon the phonology of existing languages. Klingon being designed to still be spoken by humans but
using strange or rare linguistics constructions
-opposing word order and significantly different approaches to grammar
-unique scripts for both languages
Consonant Comparison Bilabial Labiodental Dental Alveolar Postalveolar Retroflex Palatal Velar Uvular Pharyngeal Glottal
Plosive
pb
Nasal
m
Trill
Tap or Flap
Fricative
Laterial Fricative
Approximant
w
Lateral Approximant
td
n
r
v f
s ʧ͡ ʤ͡
t͡ɬ
ɖ
kg q
ŋ
ʔ
Results:
In order to explore whether or not any new semiotic processes were displayed within the selected texts a transitivity analysis was conducted. The
analysis was carried out via separating and coding of each individual transitive verbal clause. After the analysis was applied an inventory of the
amount and type of clauses present within each work was logged. The data captured is displayed below:
Elvish
Works
Material
Behavioral
Mental
Verbal
Relational
Existential
Oilima Markirya
0
0
6
0
0
0
Nieninqe
Earendel
3
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Klingon
Works
Material
Behavioral
Mental
Verbal
Relational
Existential
The Warriors
Anthem
7
0
0
2
3
0
Dirge for Kor the
Dahar Master
2
0
0
4
0
0
Klingon Drinking
Song
2
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
Traditionally a transitivity analysis would align these clausal processes alongside the literary meaning of the textual content. This projects goal
was to evaluate whether these selected works expressed any new processes other than those used in a transitivity analysis. This would mean these
a priori, constructed languages were in fact expressing a novel form of meaning in an artificial languages, which clearly would have fascinating
implications.
For the purposes of this project the data’s relevance is to the lack of new semiotic meaning in either Elvish or Klingon. The principles of
Hallidayan transitivity were applied quite successfully to both of the constructed languages. No transitive clauses in any of the selected works
carried meaning that was not outlined by the Hallidayan processes. This suggests that on some level, regardless of a constructed languages a priori
nature it still remains firmly rooted at it’s core with human linguistic meaning.
Conclusions
Consonant comparison
between Quenya and
Elvish
Legend:
ʂ
xɣ
͡qχ
h
Black = shared consonant
sound
Red = Klingon
Green = Quenya
j
l
What is a transitive analysis?
Examples of the different processes used in a transitivity analysis
In sentences clauses represent experience, they describe the events and status of reality and the imaginary. Under the doctrine of Halliday’s systemic
functional linguistics (SFL) these experiences are composed of processes, participants and circumstances.
SFL focuses on 4 distinct processes and recognizes 2 others:
-Material: ‘doing’ actions, physical, real world actions Mental: ‘sensing’ -Verbal: ‘saying’ -Relational: ‘being or becoming’
Also recognized:
-Behavioral: behavioral actions
-Existential: existing dependent
Through identifying clauses along these various processes a transitivity analysis is conducted. By looking at which processes are more common, less
common or not present at all a transitivity analysis can reveal much about a text. Using the SFL framework, I conducted a transitivity analysis on
selected Elvish & Klingon works. Comparing them and then attempting to find if any ‘new’ semiotic process we’re present in either of these a priori,
constructed languages.
The ultimate goal of this research project was to apply a transitivity analysis to texts in two different artistic, a priori constructed languages and
through that analysis determine if these languages conveyed new semiotic processes. In a transitive analysis the six semiotic process (referenced in
the What is a Transitive analysis? section) are linked with meaning construction in verbal clauses. New semiotic processes would be transitive still
but their verbal processes would not fall in the six categories. Determining this was done by seeing if the selected works functioned within the
model, i.e. running the applicable transitive clauses through the analysis. Ultimately neither Elvish nor Klingon works displayed any new semiotic
processes despite being artificial constructions. Somewhat predictably, it appears that even if a language is constructed and a priori, a base aspect
of human language allows the six process outlined by Halliday to apply, even upon artificial constructions. This lack of evidence for another
semiotic process within the pieces analyzed speaks more for the validity of systemic functional linguistics model of Michael Halliday than for
either of the constructed languages. Halliday’s transitivity analysis is designed to be used on human languages in general. Despite their artificial
nature, Quenya and Klingon were both very much designed by human beings. These constructions, even if they’re designed with the intent of
being different than other human languages abide by the rules of human language.
Selected Bibliography
Halliday, M. A. K. An Introduction to Functional Grammar. 3rd ed. London: E. Arnold, 2004. Print.
Okrand, Marc. Paq'batlh: The Klingon Epic. Ed. Floris Schönfeld and Kees Ligtelijn. San Francisco: Uitgeverij, 2011. Print.
Tolkien, J. R. R., and Humphrey Carpenter. The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1981. Print.
Tolkien, J. R. R., and Christopher Tolkien. "A Secret Vice." The Monsters and the Critics, and Other Essays. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1984. 198–
223. Print.
Tthis project is about atificial languages I was ksak sdisdj asjklsx s p Tthis project is out atificial languages I was ksapsdd0 sdcxx123xfnxaks asd kob