Cuin

Cuin is a constructed language developed for speculative fiction and linguistic experimentation. Intended as a tool for worldbuilding, Cuin illustrates how phonology, morphology, and syntax interact in a compact system. It is used in fiction projects and by conlang enthusiasts as an example of deliberate language design.

Phonology and writing: Cuin has 18 consonants and five vowels, with syllables of the form (C)(C)V(C). Stress falls on the penultimate syllable. Vowel length contrasts are marked, and the phonotactics discourage dense consonant clusters. The native script, called the Cuin script, is an alphabet augmented with diacritics to indicate length and emphasis. In practice, Cuin is often transcribed with extended Latin orthography.

Grammar: Cuin is largely analytic with a suffixal morphology and a default SOV word order. Nouns mark number and case with suffixes; adjectives follow nouns. Verbs encode aspect and mood through affixes and clitics, and evidentiality is built into the verb system. The language has no grammatical gender.

Lexicon and variation: Core roots generate related forms through prefixes and suffixes. Two principal dialects, Arin and Malin, differ in phonology and some vocabulary while remaining mutually intelligible. Loanwords from neighboring languages appear in modern Cuin texts.

Usage and reception: Cuin is primarily used in fictional narratives and by language-creation communities. It is taught through online courses and reference grammars, and it serves as a case study in how design choices affect meaning and style in constructed languages.