Comparing prehistoric constructed languages: world-building and its role in understanding prehistoric languages

Area of Science:

• Linguistics
• Anthropology
• Media Studies

Background:

• Popular culture media often features invented languages, including those intended to represent prehistoric communication.
• Two such languages, Beama (for the film Alpha) and Tan!aa Kawawa ki (for a cancelled TV series), were created by the authors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare these invented prehistoric languages.
• To explore how the creative process of language invention can inform research on language evolution and reconstruction.
• To illustrate how disparate research on prehistoric languages can be synthesized into coherent linguistic systems.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of two constructed languages (Beama and Tan!aa Kawawa ki).
• Examination of the creative methodologies employed in their development.
• Theoretical discussion on the application of these methods to understanding prehistoric linguistic systems.

Main Results:

• Invented prehistoric languages, though fictional, can serve as models for exploring linguistic principles relevant to actual prehistory.
• The creative process highlights the potential for integrating diverse research findings into holistic linguistic reconstructions.
• Both languages, despite different contexts, demonstrate how linguistic systems can be conceptualized within imagined historical settings.

Conclusions:

• The creation of fictional prehistoric languages offers a unique avenue for investigating language evolution.
• This creative approach can bridge the gap between popular media and academic research on reconstructing ancient languages.
• Such projects provide valuable insights into the potential structure and function of early human languages.