Firib

Firib is a fictional unit of currency used in speculative fiction and world-building. It serves as a narrative device to explore monetary systems, trade, and governance in imagined settings. The term appears across multiple authors and contexts, often with loosely defined rules rather than a single canonical system.

Etymology and origin: The word firib has no universally agreed origin. In some works it is linked to a hypothetical ancient language, while in others it is presented as a modern acronym or a purely invented term. Variants include firibs (plural) and firibar, depending on locale.

Economic characteristics: Common features include a defined unit of account, issuance by a central authority or by a distributed ledger, and acceptance through social contracts rather than legal tender alone. Value is frequently tied to a basket of goods, services, or digital assets, and inflation is used as a plot device to show policy choices or crises. Transfers may occur through physical coins, digital wallets, or value exchanges embedded in trade networks.

In fiction and world-building: Firib is used to examine themes such as scarcity, inequality, governance legitimacy, and the effects of monetary policy on everyday life. It often interacts with other fictional currencies, credit systems, and resource rights, shaping plot outcomes and world dynamics.

See also: fictitious currencies, world-building, economic fiction.