Sioivat

Sioivat is a term used in worldbuilding and conlang communities to denote a fictional language created for speculative fiction and hobby projects. It is not a real language, and there is no single canonical description; different authors have used the name for different linguistic systems within their works.

Etymology and scope: The name sioivat is a constructed label with no universal etymology. In various projects it may designate the national language of a hypothetical culture or refer to a language isolate used in ritual speech. The stated scope typically ranges from a spoken variety to a fully developed language with its own grammar and writing system.

Phonology and writing: Depictions vary, but common features include a modest consonant inventory and a five-vowel system. Some versions incorporate phonemic elements such as glottal stops or ejective consonants. Writing systems are similarly varied, often using a phonemic alphabet or an invented script designed to reflect the culture and history of the imagined speakers.

Grammar and usage: Descriptions span a spectrum from agglutinative morphology with extensive affixation to analytic, fixed word order systems. Typical features may include markers for tense, number, evidentiality, and mood, with word order frequently described as SVO or SOV depending on the author. In-world usage often comprises instruction within families, ceremonial speech, or storytelling traditions.

See also: Conlang, constructed language, worldbuilding.