Constructed Languages of Hildegard of Bingen and Suzzette Haden Elgin. Female Empowerment through Language?

Abstract

Since constructed languages have recently been brought into focus by their prominent presence in film and television production, they have also become more attractive for academic research: several compendia, monographs, and articles have been published on the topic of classification and analysis of conlangs. Glossopoeia of Hildegard of Bingen and Suzette Haden Elgin is unique among the plethora of constructed languages in several aspects: elusive classification, unusual lexical focus, high level of completeness, and female authorship. The article investigates possible classifications of lingua ignota and Láadan, and their grammatical, lexical, and phonological characteristics. It also aims to establish the success of the languages measured against their goal stated or implied by their inventresses and the objectives generally set for constructed languages.