Lidiome

Lidiome is a constructed language conceived as a tool for examining how idiomatic expressions interact with grammatical structure. Intended as a neutral laboratory language, it is described in theoretical and pedagogical contexts rather than as a natural language with a speech community.

Its design centers on idioms as core units of meaning. The phonology is deliberately simple: a mainly phonemic inventory of about 20 consonants and 5 vowels, with regular stress rules. The script is Latin-based with optional diacritics. Morphology is light, combining analytic tendencies with limited affixation to mark aspect and illocutionary force. The canonical word order is flexible, though an SVO tendency exists, and topic-prominent constructions are common in discourse.

The lexicon comprises a core vocabulary and an idiom-lexicon, where fixed expressions range from compositional to highly figurative. Idioms may retain nonliteral meanings that resist straightforward composition, while context and pragmatic markers guide interpretation. Lidiome thus separates compositional semantics from idiomatic meaning, providing a testbed for theories of metaphor, metonymy, and lexicalization.

Usage and status: Lidiome appears in linguistic experiments, teaching materials, and discussions about semantic theory and pragmatics. There is no official standard or native community, and several variant forms circulate in academic and online discussions. Proponents highlight its value for isolating idiomatic meaning, while critics note its lack of practical applicability beyond theoretical contexts.