Phoneminventars
Phoneminventars are individuals or groups who actively create and organize new phonemes within a language or constructed language (conlang). They focus on expanding a language’s phonemic inventory by proposing distinct sounds, their articulatory descriptions, and how these sounds contrast with existing phonemes. Unlike descriptive phonologists who analyze spoken systems, phoneminventars are agents of phonological innovation, often working within communities or design projects to shape sound inventories.
The term blends phoneme, the smallest unit of sound that distinguishes meaning, with inventor, signaling a deliberate
Typical methods used by a phoneminventar include identifying gaps or near-merger zones in an existing inventory,
Critics note that such proposals can be theoretical or arbitrary, and real-world adoption varies with community