consomese

Consomese is a constructed language used for culinary-themed worldbuilding and speculative fiction. It was devised within conlang communities to explore how a culture centered on food might shape language. Its name derives from the culinary term consommé, reflecting a lexicon saturated with terms for soups, broths, spices, and serving rituals.

Phonology and writing: Consomese features a vowel inventory of five vowels and a consonant set with fricatives and nasals common to many constructed languages. Syllables are typically (C)(C)V(C). Stress is flexible but often falls on the penultimate syllable. The writing system is Latin-based with diacritics to mark vowel length and a few suprasegmental features; there is also a proposed optional syllabary for decorative inscriptions.

Grammar: It is largely analytic, relying on prepositions to mark case relations; word order tends to subject–verb–object in simple clauses, with light verbal auxiliaries encoding aspect and mood. Numerals precede nouns and classifiers may be used for portions or servings.

Lexicon and culture: The core lexicon includes abundant culinary terms, social etiquette vocabulary, and terms related to preparation, serving, and ritual banquets, making metaphorical extension common in poetry and storytelling.

Variants and usage: Two major dialects are commonly discussed in conlang circles, but are rarely used in extended texts. Consomese remains primarily a constructed language used in fiction, role-playing games, and linguistic experimentation rather than by any native speech community.

Related topics include constructed languages and linguistic worldbuilding.