<p>These languages could be called <strong>minimalist</strong> conlangs. This term has been applied to languages like Toki Pona quite regularly, as a Google search will bear out. The term has also been used to describe a number of languages on the CBB, such as Sint and Nomadic.</p>

<p>The same word can be applied to parts of a language, e.g. Davush on CBB refers to their Shiruitoan language as having a minimalist phonology.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-05-08T20:00:14.487Z
2020-05-08T20:00:14.487Z
OpenAI was the last straw
<p>Is there a name of a group of languages that try to remove instead of adding things? 
Examples:</p>

<ul>
<li>Newspeak: reduces words (e.g. bad will be ungood (prefix "un" meaning not), eliminate expression that are not "good" (more <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newspeak#Principles" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/conlangs/comments/2cxs5e/the_10_word_language_sij/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">the Sij</a>: according to author it has 10 word (or at least morpheme).</li>
</ul>

<p>So in other words makes a language that (one or more):</p>

<ul>
<li>is less complex</li>
<li>has less word</li>
<li>has less tenses</li>
<li>just "less" of something</li>
</ul>

<p>I have only found term "Micro (artistic) language" in the wiki but it was deleted. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Artistic_language&amp;oldid=942980010#Micro_languages" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Here</a> is the last version that mention it. I am not sure if such term is even used. </p>

<typology><terminology>
Name of a group of languages with has "less is more" property
# Name of a group of languages with has "less is more" property

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-05-08)

Is there a name of a group of languages that try to remove instead of adding things?
Examples:

* Newspeak: reduces words (e.g. bad will be ungood (prefix "un" meaning not), eliminate expression that are not "good" (more [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newspeak#Principles)
* [the Sij](https://www.reddit.com/r/conlangs/comments/2cxs5e/the_10_word_language_sij/): according to author it has 10 word (or at least morpheme).

So in other words makes a language that (one or more):

* is less complex
* has less word
* has less tenses
* just "less" of something

I have only found term "Micro (artistic) language" in the wiki but it was deleted. [Here](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Artistic_language&oldid=942980010#Micro_languages) is the last version that mention it. I am not sure if such term is even used.

**Tags:** typology, terminology

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-05-08. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

These languages could be called **minimalist** conlangs. This term has been applied to languages like Toki Pona quite regularly, as a Google search will bear out. The term has also been used to describe a number of languages on the CBB, such as Sint and Nomadic.

The same word can be applied to parts of a language, e.g. Davush on CBB refers to their Shiruitoan language as having a minimalist phonology.


---

