esimesse

Esimesse is a fictional term used in speculative linguistics and fan-created conlangs to describe a hypothetical grammatical category that encodes a switch in narrative perspective or focalization. In discussions, esimesse is treated as a mood, aspect, or case that marks a transition from first-person narration to an external, third-person vantage within a discourse. The concept is not part of any established natural language, and there is no formal consensus on its exact realization.

Etymology and origins: The word esimesse is a coined neologism in online language-creation communities. It does not have a canonical etymology and is typically described as a portmanteau-like formation used to denote the idea of an "elsewhere" or "external" vantage. As such, it appears mainly in constructed-language grammars and speculative writing rather than in scholarly linguistics.

Usage and features: In conlang descriptions, esimesse can appear as a verb mood, an affix, a clitic, or a separate particle, depending on the language's typology. It is used to signal that the current statement is being presented from a vantage point outside the subject's own perspective, or from an observer who is not the narrator. The effect is similar to reported speech or free indirect discourse in natural languages, but mechanisms differ across imagined grammars.

Example: In a hypothetical conlang, a sentence meaning "Kira walks to the market" could employ esimesse as a suffix on the verb to indicate external narration: kira-walk-esimesse to mark that the action is described from an outside observer. See also: narrative perspective, conlang.