Creating Ancient Languages

The languages invented by Anthony Burgess for the film Quest for Fire are not as well known as they deserve to be. One reason for this is because the film contains no subtitles: the challenge for the viewer is to learn the unfamiliar languages spoken by the main characters by ear alone. Another reason is that some of the work undertaken by Burgess did not survive into the final cut of the film. The 'Ulam Dictionary' compiled by Burgess is considerably more extensive than viewers of the film might have imagined.