Lhiric

Lhiric is a constructed language created for worldbuilding in speculative fiction. In its fictional setting, Lhiric is the ancestral tongue of the Lhir people, spoken across the eastern valley regions of the continent of Valara and preserved in ritual and literature. The language is described as a richly inflected, agglutinative system with a relatively compact phonemic inventory.

Classification and history: Within the lore, Lhiric is part of the hypothetical Lhiric language group, with regional varieties reflecting long-standing social networks and trade routes. Earliest inscriptions attributed to Lhiric appear in ceremonial manuscripts dated to roughly the 12th century of the setting, though oral tradition extends earlier. The language exhibits sound changes that distinguish dialects, while others retain archaisms preserved in liturgical registers.

Phonology and script: Lhiric features a modest consonant inventory, including p, t, k, m, n, s, l, r, and a set of fricatives, with a five-vowel system (a, e, i, o, u). Vowel length is present in some dialects, and stress tends to fall on the penultimate syllable. The traditional writing system includes a syllabary used in ceremonial contexts, with modern texts and education typically employing a Latin-based alphabet augmented by diacritics.

Grammar: Lhiric is described as primarily agglutinative with a subject–object–verb base order. Noun phrases are marked for case by suffixes; postpositions follow the noun head. Verbs carry aspect and mood suffixes and show agreement with the subject in person. The language has no grammatical gender, and pronouns distinguish inclusive and exclusive “we.” Relative clauses are formed by connective strategies within noun phrases.

Culture and status: The lexicon emphasizes kinship, agriculture, ritual life, and landscape features. Lhiric plays a central role in ritual poetry and historical chronicles, and, within the narrative, remains active in family transmission and in schooling, with ongoing efforts to preserve dialects and liturgical registers.