Lasketko

Lasketko is a fictional language created for the 2012 science fiction novel Lasketko by author A. J. Kelpinen. In the book’s world, it is spoken by the Laskari, a coastal, seafaring people living on the northern archipelago of Laskara. The language serves as a central element of world-building and as a marker of cultural identity within the story. Although it exists only in fiction, it is described in companion texts and fan resources as a fully developed linguistic system.

Lasketko’s phonology is described as having a modest consonant inventory and vowel harmony. The canonical word order is believed to be subject–object–verb, with suffix-based morphology that marks case, number, and mood. Pronouns distinguish person and clusivity, and evidential mood is encoded through verb endings. The writing system is a fictional script called Lasketkian, used in in-world inscriptions and in published linguistic appendices within the narrative universe.

In the narrative, Lasketko functions as a symbol of tradition and communal identity, reflecting trade relations and contact with neighboring groups through occasional borrowings. The language is explored in in-universe grammars and glossaries and has inspired real-world fan resources, including dictionaries and learning guides produced by readers. While it has no speakers outside of its fictional setting, Lasketko has been used by fans to study phonology, morphology, and syntax as part of world-building exercises and collaborative storytelling.