First year creates new language, Arithian

While many students struggle to get through their foreign language requirements, first-year Nora Knapp is ahead of the game. The linguistics major has created a new language, Arithian, all by herself.

“I took what I learned from Spanish and other languages, but I did it all on my own,” she said.

Knapp said she’s had an interest in languages since she started taking Spanish in middle school, but the idea to create a language came to her when she was pursuing a completely different interest — writing a novel.

“I started out wanting to write a fantasy book, and that got me interested in making up a language for it,” she said. “I use (J.R.R.) Tolkien as my inspiration. He wrote some stuff in the languages he created.”

While writing the book, she found she enjoyed playing with the language more than writing. That’s when Arithian became her main project.

“I didn’t really end up doing much with the book, and I continued on with the language,” she said.

The language’s unique name is a reference to her active imagination as a kid.

“In pretend games in elementary school, I would say I was from the kingdom of Arithia,” she said. “It stuck with me I guess.”

The former kingdom is now a fleshed-out language that includes an alphabet, grammar rules and conjugations.

Knapp said forming Arithian has been a process.

“I would say making the alphabet and the basic grammar rules probably just took a few weeks,” she said. “But I’ve been continuously working on building vocabulary and exploring all the different rules with how it’s pronounced.”

Just as learning a language can be frustrating for many, Knapp said creating one can be overwhelming at times. But she’s always been set on following through with her project.

“I’ve never, ever wanted to give up on it,” she said.

Knapp said she would be open to hearing what linguistics professors have to say about Arithian but is especially interested in what other students think about it.

“What I would really like to do is to find other people here who may have done similar things and talk to them,” she said.

One group of students already familiar with Arithian is Knapp’s fraternity, St. Anthony Hall. Sophomore Rachel Blythe, a friend of Knapp’s in the fraternity, said she and others were caught off guard when Knapp mentioned what she’s created one day.

“She just said it so casually, and we are were like, ‘Nora, that is literally the coolest thing ever.’”

Martha Isaacs, Knapp’s “big” in the fraternity, said she was impressed with Knapp’s ability to form her own language.

“She’s so talented,” Isaacs said. “It really is such an amazing feat, and I’m glad she’s getting recognition for it.”

Both Blythe and Isaacs said they are interested in learning to speak Arithian.

But Knapp said most of goals she has for Arithian are personal ones.

“I don’t think it’s a realistic goal to have everyone learn it or anything like that,” she said. “I just want to keep working on it throughout my life.”

@yayjennic

arts@dailytarheel.com