hiilli

Hiilli is a fictional constructed language created for speculative worldbuilding and linguistic demonstration. It is not a natural language and has no real-speaking community beyond its imagined setting. The term is used in discussions of language design to illustrate how phonology, morphology, and sociolinguistic factors interact.

Origins and speakers: Hiilli was developed by a collaborative online project focused on conlangs. Within its fictional world, it is spoken by communities across a coastal archipelago; the population, dialectal variation, and degree of language vitality are described to explore language contact and change.

Phonology and morphology: The sound system features five vowels and a modest consonant inventory including p, t, k, m, n, s, h, l, and r. Syllables typically follow a (C)(C)V pattern, with limited final consonants. The language is largely analytic, with subject–verb–object (SVO) word order in neutral statements, and uses prepositions rather than case endings.

Grammar and syntax: Hiilli employs optional mood and evidential markers, and pronouns encode social distance and politeness. Noun phrases include demonstratives and numerals; adjectives generally follow the noun. Verbs mark aspect and auxiliary constructions rather than tense in basic clauses.

Writing and culture: The writing system is an alphabet-inspired script with diacritics reflecting tone and emphasis. In fiction and fan communities, hiilli is used to convey ritual language, storytelling, and intercultural contact within the imagined archipelago.

See also: constructed language, worldbuilding, linguistics.