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Are Elvish, Klingon, Dothraki and Na'vi real languages?

2,932,197 views | John McWhorter • TED-Ed

What do Game of Thrones' Dothraki, Avatar's Na'vi, Star Trek's Klingon and LOTR's Elvish have in common? They are all fantasy constructed languages, or conlangs. Conlangs have all the delicious complexities of real languages: a high volume of words, grammar rules, and room for messiness and evolution. John McWhorter explains why these invented languages captivate fans long past the rolling credits. [Directed by Joyce Stenneke, narrated by John McWhorter].

What do Game of Thrones' Dothraki, Avatar's Na'vi, Star Trek's Klingon and LOTR's Elvish have in common? They are all fantasy constructed languages, or conlangs. Conlangs have all the delicious complexities of real languages: a high volume of words, grammar rules, and room for messiness and evolution. John McWhorter explains why these invented languages captivate fans long past the rolling credits. [Directed by Joyce Stenneke, narrated by John McWhorter].

This video was produced by TED-Ed, TED’s youth and education initiative.

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John McWhorter

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Linguist John McWhorter thinks about language in relation to race, politics and our shared cultural history.

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This video was produced by TED-Ed, TED’s youth and education initiative.

Read more about TED-Ed.