Nounsin

Nounsin is a constructed language (conlang) created to explore a noun-centric approach to grammar. In nounsin, nouns carry most of the semantic load of a sentence, and verbal morphology is minimal or derived. The design emphasizes how noun morphology and position within a clause can indicate meaning and grammatical function.

Etymology: The name combines “noun” with a suffix suggesting system or method, signaling its focus on nominal structure. It emerged in online conlang circles in the early 2010s and has since circulated in brief demonstrations and hobbyist grammars.

Grammar and syntax: Nounsin marks nouns for case, number, and definiteness, while verbs are optional or derivational. Word order is relatively flexible, with case markings guiding syntactic function. Adjectives and numerals agree with the nouns they modify. Determiners appear before nouns; demonstratives can function as pronouns. Predicates can be formed by nominal derivation, reducing the need for a large verb inventory and enabling noun-based clauses to express action or state.

Phonology and writing: The phoneme inventory is compact, typically consisting of five vowels and a modest set of consonants. Syllable structure is simple, and stress often falls on the penultimate syllable. The writing system is Latin-based with minimal diacritics, designed for easy transcription of nominal forms and affixes.

Example: The sentence Kara-nu timo-lan can be glossed as “cat-NOM.SG sleep-DET-PRED,” roughly translating to “The cat sleeps.” This illustrates how nominal morphology contributes to predicate meaning in nounsin.

Usage and status: Nounsin remains a niche experiment within conlang communities, valued for illustrating nominal-centric design and linguistic experimentation rather than widespread naturalistic use. See also: conlang, nominal morphology, syntax.