Imagine understanding a greeting in a language so unique, it’s spoken by a fictional humanoid race on a fantastical planet. For Margaret Ransdell-Green, this isn’s science fiction; it’s her life’s work. This dedicated linguist has created over 20 constructed languages, or conlangs, building entire worlds through the power of words.
From Rhymish to Rílin: A Lifelong Pursuit
Ransdell-Green’s passion for language started early, inventing her first language, Rhymish, at just eight years old. Characterized by its rhyming words, it was the foundation for her exploration of linguistic creativity. Today, Rhymish stands alongside Rílin — a language boasting over 3,500 words — as one of seven spoken in Aeniith, a fictional planet she’s meticulously crafted over two decades. This world encompasses its own people, landscapes, and animals, enriched by music composed and performed in these constructed languages.
Initially, language creation was a personal pursuit. However, Ransdell-Green now utilizes her expertise to craft conlangs for authors, comic book creators, and other artists. Her inspiration is diverse, ranging from the calls of goats to the chemical signals exchanged between plant roots and fungi, showcasing the breadth of her linguistic imagination.
Based in Fairbanks, Alaska, Ransdell-Green is living a dream she had as a child. “Thirteen-year-old me would be completely jazzed,” she says. “I’m doing the stuff that she was just discovering and loving, and my love has only grown more.”
Language and Culture: Building Worlds Through Words
What inspires the creation of a new language? Ransdell-Green emphasizes that language is intrinsically linked to culture, shaping people’s identity and experience.
Language is intrinsically a part of a people’s culture. It’s part of this constellation of things that make up different people.
Her process begins by imagining the people who would speak the language, considering their history and experiences. This informs the language’s vocabulary, poetry, mythology, and literature, shaping its sounds and even its written form. For instance, the Rílin people experienced a diaspora—a migration away from their homeland—marked by tragedy. This history resonates in their poetry, featuring themes of wilderness travel and regret.
Music, Connection, and the Language Creation Society
Ransdell-Green’s dedication extends beyond linguistic theory; she sings in her constructed languages and performs with her husband in a band. Their song, Phatakap, has become a crowd favorite, even incorporating audience participation – encouraging listeners to sing a portion of the chorus, regardless of their familiarity with the language.
A lot of constructed language work, or even linguistics, can be super isolating. But music has allowed me to communicate to more people about what I’m doing. Even if you know nothing about language, you can enjoy a song.
She credits music as a means of connecting with audiences and sharing her passion for conlangs on a broader level.
For those interested in constructing their own languages, Ransdell-Green recommends learning at least one language besides their native tongue. There are also abundant online resources, such as The Language Construction Kit. She is also the president of the Language Creation Society, a nonprofit organization providing support and community for conlang enthusiasts of all ages, with members from around the globe.
Ultimately, she stresses that crafting languages is a creative endeavor. “There’s no conlanger who’s going to tell you, ‘This is wrong, period.’ It’s all just creative choices that you can make.”
Margaret Ransdell-Green’s work reveals the extraordinary potential of language – not just as a means of communication, but as a powerful tool for world-building and artistic expression. Her passion serves as an inspiration to anyone fascinated by the intricacies of language and the endless possibilities of human creativity.
