Andeantype

Andeantype is a theoretical construct in linguistic typology that proposes a cohesive set of grammatical and typological traits associated with languages historically spoken in the Andean region. The term blends Andean with type and is used mainly in speculative discussions, creative worldbuilding, and informal typology exercises rather than in peer-reviewed linguistics.

Etymology and scope: The coinage appears in online forums and later in fictional guides, where it serves as a shorthand for discussing cross-language patterns believed to be characteristic of the Andean language area. It does not correspond to an acknowledged genetic or geographic category in mainstream linguistics.

Core features: Descriptions of Andeantype typically emphasize verbal systems with evidential and aspectual marking, flexibility in morphosyntax, and suffixal morphology. Some accounts posit predominantly suffixing morphology, SOV or loosely head-final word order, and postposed case or possessive markers. Noun incorporation and serial verb constructions may occur, with pronouns encoding clusivity and gender neutrality in some variants.

Subtypes and variation: Some writers distinguish Andeantype I (strong evidential morphology and narrative focus) from Andeantype II (elaborate aspect systems, less overt evidentiality). The boundaries between subtypes are informal and not standardized.

Reception and criticism: Andeantype is not recognized by major linguistic bodies and lacks rigorous cross-linguistic validation. Critics warn that it risks essentializing diverse Andean languages and obscuring intra-regional variation.

See also: Linguistic typology; Andean languages; Evidentiality in language.