Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Conversation
The Conversation
Inka Romero-Ortells Labrada, Investigadora del Centro de Investigación Nebrija en Cognición, Universidad Nebrija

Elvish, Klingon and Pig Latin: what can invented languages teach us about the human brain?

A manuscript in Elvish written on silk parchment. The Elvish language was created by Tolkien for The Lord of the Rings. Luca Lorenzelli/Shutterstock

Invented languages tend to be the stuff of fantasy or science fiction worlds. But as a child, you may have made one up yourself.

Take Pig Latin, which involves moving the starting consonant of a word to the end and adding an “-ay” sound. “Pig Latin” thus becomes “ig-pay atin-lay”, while words beginning with a vowel have a “-way” at the end. With a little practice, you can hold entire conversations in Pig Latin.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.