Kirjakeelin

Kirjakeelin is a fictional constructed language created for the Kirjakeel universe, a collaborative worldbuilding setting used in a series of novels and games. In this fiction, Kirjakeelin functions as the canonical literary and ceremonial language, contrasted with the everyday spoken tongue.

Origins and development: The language was designed by a group of writers and linguists to reflect a culture with a long tradition of scholarship and inscription. Its design draws on Finnic and Slavic linguistic traits and emphasizes script and record-keeping.

Phonology and writing system: Kirjakeelin features vowel harmony and a moderate consonant inventory. Stress is typically on the first syllable. The standard script is a Latin-based alphabet with diacritics to mark vowel quality and length. The orthography is conservative, preserving historical spellings in formal writing.

Grammar and syntax: It is analytic but uses an extensive system of affixes to express case, number, tense, and mood. Nouns inflect for several cases; adjectives agree with nouns in number and case. The basic word order is subject–object–verb, with flexible arrangement for emphasis.

Usage and dialects: Kirjakeelin is primarily used in liturgy, scholarship, and ceremonial inscriptions within the Kirjakeel stories. Several regional registers exist, including a formal high register and a more narrative or poetic register. Learners study it in academies as part of cultural literacy; its vocabulary expands through translated texts and commentaries.

As a fictional construct, Kirjakeelin has no official status outside the Kirjakeel universe, and mentions of its usage appear in companion materials and fan resources.