What is the most widely used invented language?
Definitely Esperanto, which is ironic because when you say “Esperanto,” most people say, “Didn’t that die out in the 1920s?” Or, “Esperanto? That failed utopian project?” But in terms of invented languages, it’s the most outlandishly successful invented language ever. It has thousands of speakers—even native speakers—and that’s a major accomplishment as compared to the 900 or so other languages that have no speakers. Are there any other invented languages that could be considered a success? Klingon is a success, as well as a few other languages like Klingon, which were developed not to solve a problem with natural language but as an artistic challenge. Those languages can be a success insofar as they meet the artistic vision of the creator. If you create a language for personal reasons—to see what Japanese would look like if half its vocabulary was from English, for instance—and if you feel satisfied with the project, then it can be construed as a success. In that case, you’re not worr
