mínní

Mínní is a constructed language created for a speculative fiction and world-building project. It is designed to be fully describable, with its own phonology, grammar, and lexicon, enabling realistic dialogue and narrative exposition within its fictional setting.

The name mínní is a neologism formed specifically for the language and does not derive from a real language. The standard orthography uses the Latin script with diacritics to indicate vowel quality and stress; some writers also employ a compact syllabary for informal notes.

Phonology and syntax: The sound system comprises about 18 consonants and five vowels. Vowels contrast length, indicated by diacritics, and stress is phonemic with primary stress on the penultimate syllable in most words. Mínní is largely agglutinative; nouns take case suffixes for nominative, accusative, and dative, while verbs encode tense, aspect, mood, and evidentiality through affixes. Basic word order is subject–object–verb (SOV); adjectives follow nouns and agree in number via suffixes. Pronouns distinguish inclusive and exclusive “we.”

Usage and community: A small but active community produces grammars, dictionaries, and example texts. It is primarily used as a tool for storytelling, tabletop role-playing, and language experimentation within the fictional setting.

History and status: Mínní was developed starting in the early 2010s by linguist C. Vale as part of a world-building project. Though fictional, it has published reference materials and user-contributed content, and remains a living project for enthusiasts.