131. Glossopoeia

Kyle and Emily are talking about what is perhaps the most complicated part of worldbuilding for sci fi and fantasy, as they unpack the etymology and history of the word glossopoeia.

This episode’s all about the nerdiest kind of wordplay, made-up languages. And not just the ones that appear in your favorite franchises like Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, and Game of Thrones. Languages like Esperanto, and some others you’ve probably never heard of, come up as well!

Of course our hosts talk about the king of constructed languages, JRR Tolkien. And they also dig into what made Tolkien’s languages for LotR so good. Turns out it’s not just about the words themselves; it’s the myths and stories that really make those words sing.