<p>The oldest language whose creator set out to actually invent a language (as opposed to Pāṇini, who wanted to create a classical standard out of an already  extant language) was probably <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingua_Ignota" rel="noreferrer">Lingua Ignota</a>. The formerly brilliant Langmaker website had <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20051110160747/http://www.langmaker.com/db/mdl_linguaignota.htm" rel="noreferrer">an article</a> on it (now accessible through the Wayback Machine). It was made in the twelfth century, predating another early conlang, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balaibalan" rel="noreferrer">Balaibalan</a>, which was made somewhen between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries.</p>

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2018-02-08T00:39:01.913Z
2018-02-08T00:39:01.913Z
Darkgamma
<p>Historically speaking, what is the oldest known constructed language that we are able to determine with historical evidence?</p>

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2018-02-08T00:29:21.030Z
That really depends on how you define conlang (see [this](https://conlang.stackexchange.com/a/109/100) answer)
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What is the oldest known constructed language?
# What is the oldest known constructed language?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-02-07)

Historically speaking, what is the oldest known constructed language that we are able to determine with historical evidence?

**Tags:** history
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: That really depends on how you define conlang (see [this](https://conlang.stackexchange.com/a/109/100) answer)  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-02-08. Score: 18 | Accepted answer

The oldest language whose creator set out to actually invent a language (as opposed to Pāṇini, who wanted to create a classical standard out of an already extant language) was probably [Lingua Ignota](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingua_Ignota). The formerly brilliant Langmaker website had [an article](https://web.archive.org/web/20051110160747/http://www.langmaker.com/db/mdl_linguaignota.htm) on it (now accessible through the Wayback Machine). It was made in the twelfth century, predating another early conlang, [Balaibalan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balaibalan), which was made somewhen between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries.


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