Ithkuil - Conlang Profile	Advanced
Language Name Ithkuil Language Author John Quijada Year Began 1978 Site Ithkuil Broken Link No Site Language English Language Type philosophical language Uniqueness Ithkuil combines an a priori philosophical language with a logical language, using a lexicon of 3600 semantic roots built on a complex, matrix-like grammar designed to achieve maximal communication of cognitive intent and meaning in a highly efficient manner. What Robert Heinlein proposed for morpho-phonology (via "Speedtalk"), Ithkuil delivers for morphology, lexico-morphology, and lexico-semantics as well. There are two parts of speech, formatives and adjuncts, with the former inflecting for 22 morphological categories. The Ithkuil script utilizes a unique "morpho-phonemic" principle to likewise "compress" the written word. The website contains numerous MP3 sound files so visitors can hear Ithkuil pronunciation. Language Sources The consonantal phonology verbal morphology of Ubykh and Abkhaz; certain Amerindian verbal moods; Niger-Kordofanian aspectual systems; Basque and Dagestanian nominal case systems; Wakashan enclitic systems; the Tzeltal and Guugu Yimidhirr positional orientation systems; the Semitic triliteral root morphology; the evidential and possessive categories of Suzette Elgin's Láadan; and the schematic word-formation principles of Wilkin's Analytical Language and Sudre's Solresol. (I would also have been inspired by Heinlein's Speedtalk if I'd known about it, but I didn't discover it till 1999.) As for the Ithkuil script: the logical design is inspired by the mutational principles of the Ethiopic and Brahmi scripts, while the visual design superficially resembles a cross between Hebrew square script and the various Klingon fonts. Design Principles Ithkuil word-formation utilizes an array of principles from cognitive psychology and cognitive linguistics, including prototype theory, radial categorization, fuzzy logic and semantic complementarity. Lexico-semantic compression is accomplished by lexifying only the seminal underlying concept of a class of what are related words in other languages (e.g., reducing 'see' 'sight' 'vision' 'glimpse' 'stare' 'gawk' 'view' 'panorama' 'look' 'eye' 'glance' 'visualize', etc. to one root 'vision'), then applying a wide array of regular, predictable, and universally applicable modifications at the morphological (i.e., grammatical) level instead of the lexical level, to derive words that far exceed the lexical range of most other languages. Approximately 800 of the 3600 roots have been identified along with the 18 derived stems per root. An additional 1000 roots without derived stems have been tentatively identified. Interest Of Others In July, 2004, Ithkuil was described in an article entitled "The Speed of Thought" by Stanislav Kozlovskiy in the Russian-language popular science magazine "Komputerra" which apparently has a readership of about 50,000 persons. Since then, at least a dozen Russians have informed Ithkuil's creator they are now attempting to learn Ithkuil. Two of them are currently translating the Ithkuil website into Russian. Dictionary Yes Etymologies No Grammar Yes Sample Texts Yes Unique Script Yes Primer No Babel Text No Lexicon Size 800 Submitted By John Quijada Date Submitted Sunday, January 25, 2004 Updated By John Quijada Date Edited Tuesday, September 07, 2004 Description Of Update A new "Lexicon" chapter/link has been added to the Ithkuil website, containing the first batch of about 150 word-roots, each with their 18 derived stems. The author will be periodically adding roots to the Lexicon page as they are converted from handwritten notes. The lexicon was added due to increased interest in Russia following the publishing of an article in a Russian popular science magazine describing Ithkuil. Date To Headline Wednesday, September 22, 2004 < it-Cejdijtung, Ctung  Ithkuil  Itlani >
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