Nodfelish

Nodfelish is a constructed language created for the fictional world of Nodfel. It is the native tongue of the Nodfel people and appears across literature, drama, and media within that setting. As a central element of worldbuilding, Nodfelish is described in linguistic annexes, glossaries, and in-universe dictionaries.

Phonology comprises about 14 consonants and five vowels, with a near-neutral phoneme inventory. Notable sounds include p, t, k, f, s, m, n, l, r, w, and y. Stress is typically on the penultimate syllable, and the language is not tonal. Nodfelish uses its own writing system, the Nodfelic script, an alphabetic script with diacritics; earlier texts were rendered in Latin transliteration.

Nodfelish is moderately analytic with affixes that attach to noun and verb roots. The basic word order is subject–verb–object, although flexible, especially in poetry. Nouns can take suffixes to mark number and case, while verbs encode tense, aspect, and voice through affixes and auxiliary constructions. Pronouns are suffixed or cliticized, and negation is expressed with a particle preceding the verb.

Historically, Nodfelish traces its lineage to Proto-Nodfelic, with oldest inscriptions dating from a mythic era within the lore. Regional varieties include Northern Nodfelish and Southern Nodfelish, which differ in lexicon and some phonological traits. In modern periods, linguists within the setting have produced standardized grammar guides and dictionaries, supporting formal education and literary production.

In-world function includes ceremonial speech, poetry, law, education, and storytelling. Nodfelish serves as a marker of cultural identity, while loanwords from neighboring languages reflect contact and exchange throughout Nodfel society.