I Never Knew the Language in 'The Fifth Element' Was Actually Real — And It Blew My Mind

Okay, so I’ve watched The Fifth Element a million times, but only recently did I learn that all that weird "babble" Mila Jovovich’s character Lilu speaks? It’s not just random sounds — it’s an actual language. Yup, Luc Besson made it up himself!

Apparently, Besson started creating this language way back when he was a teenager, dreaming up his sci-fi world and imagining the perfect future girl.

That language, which is supposed to be the oldest one in the Fifth Element universe, has only about 400 words. Sounds tiny compared to English, right? But it’s got real grammar and even borrows from French and Arabic.

I found it hilarious that Mila had a tough time pronouncing her character’s full name — Lilu’s proper name is this massive mouthful: Liluminai Lekatariba Lamina-Tchai Ekbat De Sebat.

Imagine trying to say that on set! But get this, Mila and Besson got so into it that they started practicing and texting each other in it. By the end of filming, they were basically fluent.

One of my fave bits is when Lilu says, "Seddan akta gamat" to Korben, which means "Never without my permission." Honestly, it sounds way cooler than just "no."

So yeah, next time you hear Lilu’s "language," know it’s not gibberish — it’s a real, crafted tongue with its own rules. I love how much thought went into making this little sci-fi world so immersive. Just another reason The Fifth Element is a classic.