Toeis

Toeis is a fictional ethnolinguistic designation used in world-building and speculative fiction to describe a small coastal or riverine community and their language. The term appears in various works of fiction and fan-made canons, where Toeis is treated as either a single people with a unique language or as a family of related languages. There is no canonical Toeis language or geography, and settings differ across authors.

In these works, Toeis languages are commonly described as distinct from neighboring languages, sometimes portrayed as agglutinative or isolating, with a preference for monosyllabic roots and rich noun classifiers. A constructed script or sign system is featured in some canons, though many stories leave the language without a developed writing system. The Toeis are usually placed in a delta, coastal archipelago, or riverine region where trade and travel by canoe or small boats shape daily life.

Culturally, Toeis communities are depicted as fishers and navigators, with artisan crafts such as weaving or pottery forming part of material culture. Social organization varies, from clan-based to small, egalitarian bands, with emphasis on kinship ties, ceremonial exchange, and seasonal round.

In-world histories often include migrations, trade networks with neighboring groups, and encounters with outsiders. Because Toeis is a fictional construct, its details differ by author, and some scholars examine the term to discuss representation, world-building practices, and the ethics of portraying small cultures.