Ismthmi
Ismthmi is a fictional philosophical and linguistic concept used in speculative literature to describe the mutual influence between belief systems and language within social groups. In this framework, ideologies shape discourse—what people say, how they frame events, which metaphors they favor—and, in turn, discourse reinforces and propagates those ideologies across communities.
Etymology and usage: The name Ismthmi blends the English suffix -ism with roots suggestive of myth, theme,
Scope and method: Ismthmi is used to analyze texts, speeches, and media within a storyworld. It treats
History in the fictional universe: The concept appears in speculative essays in the Ismthmi Archive, a repository
Reception: In-universe critiques range from seeing Ismthmi as a useful heuristic for tracing ideational influence to
Related topics include semiotics, discourse analysis, memetics, sociolinguistics, and worldbuilding. This article describes a fictional concept