eiverbi

Eiverbi is a fictional constructed language created for the maritime fantasy setting The Isles of Eira. It is spoken by the Eiren, an island-dwelling people whose trade networks extend across the eastern archipelago. In the lore, Eiverbi arose from contact among fisherfolk, navigators, and scholars, and later served as a lingua franca in port cities and scholarly communities.

Phonology of Eiverbi includes five vowels and a consonant inventory featuring p, t, k, m, n, s, l, r, and h. The language favors syllable structures of (C)(C)V(C) and typically places stress on the penultimate syllable. It employs a relatively small phonemic inventory with occasional allophonic variation.

Grammar centers on a generally subject–object–verb (SOV) order, with a strong analytic tendency reinforced by affixal marking. Nouns inflect for case and number using suffixes, and postpositions express spatial relations. Verbs encode evidentiality—distinguishing direct knowledge, inferred information, and reported speech—alongside aspect and tense markers. Pronouns function as independent forms and clitics, while demonstratives pair with nouns to indicate distance and visibility. Word formation relies on productive affixation and compounding, enabling rich derivational possibilities.

Writing is traditionally done in the Eiran script, a phonemic alphabet descended from earlier rune-like systems. Spelling generally reflects pronunciation, though loanwords from neighboring languages are adapted to fit Eiverbi phonology.

In-universe, Eiverbi functions in literature, ritual recitations, trade records, and everyday conversation. It has several regional varieties and is studied by scholars within the setting for its evidential system and its role in social identity and diplomacy.