: Re: What's the benefit of using invented languages in-story? I'm working on a fictional story set in a fantastical (although coherent) universe. I'm used to seeing invented languages in works like

@Welton431

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You should take the time to try to learn a new language in a class context. I say this because most decent language teachers will teach about the language's culture as well as the language. And this is because some constructs and words won't make sense unless you know the corresponding culture. The different levels of deference in Japanese verbs is a good example of this.

Now you will understand when I say that the best use of an invented language is to convey a cultural difference. You don't even need to use the language in your story; it can be enough just to talk about it. In my current novel, I'm using language barriers to help define a few different cultures. My main two protagonists know several languages, one of which is actually not even recognised as spoken words by the main antagonists who largely only speak another. :-)

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