felhfelh

Felhfelh is a term used in linguistic world-building and speculative fiction to describe a specific reduplication pattern in imagined languages. In this usage, felhfelh refers to the repetition of a base segment, typically a consonant-vowel nucleus such as felh, with minimal or no change between repetitions. The resulting form is a disyllabic or multisyllabic word whose function varies by language, often signaling emphasis, plurality, iterative aspect, or tense. The pattern is presented as a canonical example of reduplication in constructed grammars and glossaries.

Etymology: The term felhfelh is a coined label. It combines a short base felh with exact reduplication. It is not derived from a known natural language and lacks attested historical usage outside fictional works.

Usage in fiction and world-building: Authors use felhfelh to illustrate how reduplication can encode grammatical or semantic nuances. It may appear as a surface form in sample sentences, as a grammatical rule in a conlang guide, or as a cultural motif—names of places, songs, or rituals that evoke repetition. In some settings, felhfelh-inspired forms appear in signage, poetry, or ceremonial speech.

See also: reduplication, constructed languages, conlang grammar, world-building.