Arilandic

Arilandic is a constructed language developed for the fictional archipelago of Ariland. Originating in the late 20th century, it was designed as the native tongue for island communities and as the linguistic backdrop for novels, games, and media set in that world. It was created by linguist L. M. Kestrel and later refined by community contributors to reflect maritime culture and social nuance.

Phonology: Arilandic has five vowel phonemes with a length distinction and a consonant inventory including p, t, k, b, d, g, m, n, s, l, r, f, h. Syllables are typically (C)(C)V(C). Primary stress falls on the first syllable, with occasional secondary stress in longer forms. The system favors open syllables and avoids complex clusters.

Writing system: The language uses an alphabet of 24 letters; vowels may bear diacritics to indicate length. Text is written left to right. The script emphasizes rounded glyphs intended to evoke the sea and wind, and loanwords are adapted to fit Arilandic phonotactics.

Grammar: Arilandic is primarily SVO. Nouns mark number with suffixes, while articles and demonstratives function as separate words. Adjectives follow nouns and agree in number. Verbs employ auxiliary markers for tense and aspect; pronouns include inclusive and exclusive forms, reflecting social grouping distinctions.

Dialects: Northern Arilandic and Coastal Arilandic show systematic vowel shifts and regional vocabulary differences. Mutual intelligibility remains high, though several idioms and expressions vary by region.

Status: In-world, Arilandic is taught in schools, used in literature and ceremonial contexts, and supported by learner communities online. In real-life fandom, it is maintained through documentation, style guides, and language-learning resources.

Examples: hello “selai”; sea “mara”; to speak “vadrā.”