unàun

Unàun is a fictional concept used in worldbuilding and speculative fiction to denote a unit of social exchange. It functions as a non-monetary form of currency rooted in reciprocity and communal obligation, rather than price-based trade.

Etymology and construction: The term unàun is a constructed word designed for imagined languages. The diacritic marks indicate stress in the fictional pronunciation; there are no real-world cognates.

Definition and mechanics: Individuals earn unàun by performing acts that benefit others—providing labor, hospitality, or aid during hardship. Recipients grant goods, services, or favors in return. The value of unàun is maintained primarily through reputation and communal memory rather than fixed prices; balances may decay or require renewal on a seasonal or ceremonial cycle.

Cultural role: In the depicted culture, unàun fosters mutual aid, trust, and long-term cooperation. It may be governed by informal ledgers or social norms, and can coexist with official currency as a complementary mechanism for distributing scarce resources during crises.

In fiction and media: Unàun appears in novels, role-playing games, and design exercises to explore gift economies, debt, and moral obligation. Variants differ in how balances are tracked, how quickly value decays, and how easily unàun can be transferred between agents.

See also: Gift economy, social currency, reciprocity, reputation systems.