Tag Archives: language

A Language All Her Own

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J.R.R. Tolkien is revered for the 20+ languages he created for his majestic world of Middle-earth. He even coined the term “Glossopoeia” to describe his brand of language invention. Tolkien got his start in his teens…just like Emi, avid glossopoet and the subject of today’s blog post!

But before we meet Emi, we have another teen to introduce…

Long time readers may remember Hope, our kid guest writer who tested calligraphy sets, launched catapults, and reviewed arts supplies far and near. Hope also has the distinction of being the first kid to grow up in our little library and be accepted into Princeton University! She graduated in the Class of 2024!

Today, it is my distinct pleasure to introduce a new teen writer. Lila is a freshman in high school and our new arts and entertainment desk. Today, she’ll be sharing an amazing discovery she made – a fellow student who invented her own language! Take it away, Lila!

Hello readers! I’m so happy to be here! Imagine my surprise when during a free period in school, I glanced over to see a notebook full of symbols and writings. This intricate script belonged to a student I’ve had the pleasure of knowing for a few years now. Emi is a highly creative friend of mine, so knowing this, it came as no surprise that this page turned out to be part of a language she invented. Intrigued, I felt deeply inspired to learn more and interview her! And thankfully, I learned quite a lot, as Emi provides us with a deeper dive into her language, its purpose, how it works, and more.

Hi Emi! Please tell us a little bit about yourself!

Salutations! I’m Emi, your friendly nyctophile who enjoys illustrating and writing.

Can you explain how your language works, and how you use it in your life?

The thing is, I’m still creating my language. I think it’s more of a code/ language, like how Zac Brewer, the author of The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, made theirs. The language is called Ximo, meaning SD or Slayer Dialect. Although not associated with the Monster Slayers in my book anymore, the name Ximo will still stand. The overall language is used for the supernaturals in the fake universe I’ve created for my book called The Spiral Universe. The reason I originally said that it’s a dialect is because different parts of that fake world speak the language but change the words up a bit like how there’s Quebecois French and then the French that is spoken in France or how in the Philippines there is Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon, Waray, etc. Sometimes I try to speak Ximo to my friends, the looks on their faces… absolutely hilarious. One of these days I need to teach them Ximo. I doubt these rules will change, if they do I shall certainly write that in my book, but here are some rules:

If a word contains repeat letters, the extra letters are removed. Like if you have the word “know” in Ximo which is usually kotaaifa if written without the rule. Instead we write it like, kotaifa with one A instead of two because we already knew that there would be another A there because of the I.

Words like “to look” which in Ximo would be, Ioloaiaiko without the rule, usually have a letter that isn’t repeated. Since we already see 2 letter Os in the word, we’d say Ioloaiako.

Verbs have “Io” in front of them.

Xlobi means “fly” in Ximo. Any word in English that ends with “Y” will end with “Bi” in Ximo, with some exceptions of words like adding -ly to adjectives to turn into adverbs. Then that would be “Ra” with the r rolled.

For example, if I wanted to say, “This is Ximo,” in the language, it’s like this:

Thjao q Ximo.

Here are some words:

At: Th
Are: Atnexo
Am: Atza
And: Ja
Is: Q
It: Qu
That: Thja
This: Thjao
These: Thjaok
Those: Thjaoka

Just like how English has contractions in the languages like Isn’t, Aren’t, Doesn’t, Don’t, Ximo also has these but they are different.

Some common ones are:

Aren’t: Atnedansais
Isn’t: Hixinsais
It’s: Hinonsais
Can’t: Zoatnsais
Doesn’t: Moaidaxinsais

Notice how they have sais at the end? That acts like the T in English. The n is added before the ais to make it negative.

What inspired you to create this language?

I have a lot of inspiration actually. The World of Elysia is the fantasy world that Zac Brewer created, my favorite author. They made The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod and many other series I value dearly. They have this code in their book called “Elysian Code.” I guess once I read all the books in those series, I told myself that I needed to write a book. I started writing in 2023 and my first book was Supernatural Control which I haven’t finished yet. My book I’m currently writing is called Blood Lies. Vampires in The World of Elysia speak Elysian code, and write in it, but the pronunciation of the words and how to speak it was always kept a secret. I decided I really wanted my language/code to be able to be spoken regardless of what language a person spoke.

J.R.R. Tolkien is a famous author who created languages for a fictitious world he was building. Is this true for you too, or is your language stand-alone?

My language is specifically for my book series I’m creating/ writing. It’s the main language spoken in The Spiral universe, mostly noted to be spoken in The Spiral City while the various representatives from each house were there. House of Fairies, House of Vampires, House of Elves, not creative names, but it says what House they are from at least. They all speak this language. Humans cannot understand the language. Regardless if they learned Ximo or not, supernaturals can naturally understand it. There is another language I’m making called “Qzklyu” which the demons in the book speak and only the demons can understand it. They can understand Ximo and Qzklyu because their brain is programmed to understand and speak both.

Do you speak any other languages and did that impact how you designed your own language?

I speak English, I’m learning French in school. I’m learning Japanese, Esperanto, Welsh, Mandarin, Turkish, and German on Duolingo. Tagalog is something I’m learning from my Mom and online because my mom is Filipino. And then there is Ximo and Qzklyu that I’m developing and learning to speak and write. Japanese, Tagalog, English, and German have to be the most help developing my languages. Some words are pronounced like in English, the way some words are pronounced in Japanese is also pronounced in there as well. Like “No” or “Mo” or “Ta” is similar in Japanese and is in Ximo and “Th” in English. “Ja” pronunciation like in German.

What are some words of inspiration and/ or practical advice for others who want to create their own languages?

My words of inspiration are something I struggle with; however, they just need to nerd out. Nerd out on what you do. If it’s languages, pursue that, research that, talk about that. Watch videos, say random sounds and gibberish, and eventually you’ll make words. Just be yourself and let other’s know.

Anyway that’s all. Thank you for your time. :D

As we say in Ximo as a farewell,

Ekquio diertu qiz zoatloza.

Many thanks to Lila for conducting the interview, and to Emi for sharing her amazing work! 

Racing Robot Reader

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Have a reluctant reader who might appreciate good race? This simple project will get them raring to read letters and words with the assistance of their own personal reading robot! Built out of things in your home or office, it’s low tech, but high levels of F-U-N!

You’ll need:

  • 1 paper cup
  • 1 small ball
  • 1 piece of tin foil or sparkle stem
  • Pens or markers
  • Post-it notes

Flip the cup upside down, then decorate your robot with markers (we went a little fancy with silver circular file labels and eye stickers). Add tin foil or sparkle stem antennae. When you’re finished designing, place your robot cup on top of a ball. We used a squishy foam ball, but a tennis ball works great too!

Next, write alphabet letters on Post-it notes and stick them to a tabletop. Have the reader and their robot sit on the opposite side of the table. As you call out the letter, they can slide and release their robot towards the proper Post-it!

There are plenty of variations on this game. The robots can read single letters, words, finish sentences, and seek out synonyms. They’re also multilingual if you’re trying to learn a new language. Or you can go multiplayer and race other robots in a full scale demolition derby!

Call it Home

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Recently, we were honored to host author and Princeton University student Uma Menon who is also GRADUATING today! CONGRATULATIONS! Uma brought her gorgeous picture book, My Mother’s Tongues: A Weaving of Languages (Candlewick Press, 2024; illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell). In the book, Uma describes the beautiful dynamic of her family and the multiple languages they speak. So we designed this sweet home…

…that opens to reveal the names of everyday household items in all the languages mentioned in her book! Malayalam, Spanish, Hindi, French, and Tamil!

We used some flat boxes we acquired from our library’s upcycling program, but a folded piece of poster board works too! Just color and cut the household furniture template and household words labels, then glue them into your home. We also provided patterned paper for some extra fancy design elements.

After story time, I caught up with Uma to ask her about her experiences writing her picture book, and what’s she’s planning to do next:

Hi Uma! Tell us a little about yourself!

I am a senior at Princeton University majoring in the School of Public and International Affairs with minors in South Asian Studies, American Studies, and Gender & Sexuality Studies. Outside of school, I enjoy writing poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. My first children’s book, My Mother’s Tongues, was published by Candlewick Press in February, and it will be followed by a sequel next year, titled Our Mothers’ Names. Both books tell the story of a young Indian American girl who grows up speaking Malayalam and English, inspired by my own childhood. Previously, I wrote a poetry collection, Hands for Language, which was published by Mawenzi House in 2020, and I have also written essays and poetry for many publications including The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, and The Progressive.

What inspired this book?

I began writing this book around high school graduation, when I was 16 years old. Growing up, I did not encounter any stories of children like me who spoke more than one language, so I wanted to write a book that represented this experience shared by millions of children of immigrants across America. As a child, speaking a different language doesn’t always feel like a superpower—it often feels like a point of difference. Through My Mother’s Tongues, I hope to celebrate the beauty and power of multilingualism while highlighting the wonder and confusion young children may experience.

Do you have any insights or reflections to share, growing up in a bilingual home?

Being bilingual is not easy. As we grow up, attend school, and interact primarily with English speakers, it becomes more difficult to maintain native fluency in our mother tongues. Yet, I realized that there is great value in making an active effort to preserve my knowledge of Malayalam. It has allowed me to connect more deeply with family members, consume diverse media and art, and access more cultural perspectives. Growing up bilingual taught me the value of being able to speak multiple languages and hence inspired me to become a lifelong language learner: inspired by my heritage, I decided to study Hindi while at Princeton. As with Malayalam, learning Hindi has allowed me to access a rich body of literature and film as well as understand more perspectives on the world.

What do you enjoy most about writing?

For me, writing is a valuable tool for personal expression and communication with diverse audiences. Throughout my life, reading and writing have allowed me to better understand my own identity and the perspectives of others. Books have made me a more empathetic and global citizen. As a writer, I hope to reach the hearts and minds of people across the world—those who have both similar and different life experiences as me.

What are you planning to do after you graduate from Princeton University?

In the fall, I will be attending Yale Law School, where I am excited to study international law and human rights. Of course, I will also continue writing across many genres, but I especially hope to begin working on more children’s literature this summer!