Sefdaanian Ethnography Chapter 4 - Family

Pronunciation table

p	b	f	v	m̃	m			t	d	þ	ð	ɫ	l			ṡ	ż	s	z	r	n			k	g	x	ƣ	h	ȝ			š	s̨			i	e	a	õ	o	u			ĭ	ĕ	ŭ
/p/	/b/	/ɸ/	/β/	/m̥/	/m/			/t/	/d/	/θ/	/ð/	/l̥/	/l/			/ʦ/	/ʣ/	/s/	/z/	/ɾ̥/	/n/			/k/	/g/	/ç/	/ʝ/	/j̊/	/j/			/sʷ/	/sʲ/			/i/	/e/	/ä/	/ɒ/	/o/	/u/			/ɪ/	/ɛ/	/ʊ/

Family life - ðamǧı̋ı̋ra

• Children are named after items found in nature (star, deer, bird, etc.) or after human attributes (strength, joy, etc.). The noun may take the adjectival suffix -ni indicating resemblance to, e.g., m̃e̋ini, like a bird. Or it may take the adjectival suffix -ri indicating full of, e.g., gővri, full of beauty. These adjectives are then placed in the -u� declension, that of loquent beings: m̃e̋inu, gővru.
• Among the Lithans, families take the name of the father; the patronymic prefix aþ- is used. It is considered an appositive, so is placed after the name. If necessary, the name of the settlement and the name of the region can be added. Thus, a Lithan male named Daam̃a̋lu ("river strong"), whose father is named Ma̋lru ("full of strength"), who lives in a village named Miirkı̋lo ("peaceful village"), in the western river region Mezda̋a̋n̨a would have the full name Mezdaan̨a̋s Miirkilős Daam̃a̋lu aþ-Ma̋lru.
• Among the Pyrans, Hydorans, and Humans, families take the name of the mother in the same pattern as above. It is considered an appositive, so is placed after the name. Thus, a Pyran female named Paike̋e̋ƣu ("white doe"), whose mother is named Disűűlu ("bright sun"), who lives in a village named Daane̋ðo ("river walk"), in the little river region Pinda̋a̋n̨a would have the full name Pindaan̨a̋s Daaneðős Paike̋e̋ƣu aþ-Disűűlu.
• A person is ordinarily addressed and spoken of using both the name and the patronymic/matronymic. Thus, the two individuals just named would be addressed and spoken of as Dam̃a̋lu aþ-Ma̋lru and Paike̋e̋ƣu aþ-Disűűlu.
• It is possible for any of the People to receive an epithet for a great deed done, e.g., Daam̃a̋lu Máilkaadőőnu, Riverstrong Wolf-slayer, but this epithet is not passed on to any children.
• Boys and girls are not treated differently, except insofar as they are trained for their respective tasks in the family and the community.

Family size - ðamnőőlta

The Ethrans

• The Ethrans live in large compounds known as citadels (ðűűno). The population changes as the Ethrans are sent out on missions to other citadels or to various parts of the world for scientific or other investigation. There are six ranks of Ethrans:
  • 1.6 mages (se̋ilu)
  • 2. 12 praetors (zı̋lþu)
  • 3. 36 archons (ka̋mþu)
  • 4. 144 assistants (þőnlu)
  • 5. 720 guardians (pőőþlu)
  • 6. 4,320 ministers (kűűlu)
• The mages have been appointed as guardians and caretakers of the Six Loquent Peoples:
  • 1. Ȝumm̃a̋ku Ma̋nu (the archimage) of the Ethrans; he is responsible for the discipline of astronomy. His connection to the dweomery enables him to control the weather and airflow. The golden oriole (O. oriolus) is sacred to him.
  • 2. Ȝumɫe̋ntu A̋su of the Pyrans; she is responsible for the discipline of zoology. Her connection to the dweomery enables her to control animals. The robin (Erithacus rubicula) is sacred to her.
  • 3. Ȝuma̋a̋þu Sa̋þru of the Hydorans; he is responsible for the discipline of the physical sciences. His connection to the dweomery enables him to create and control fire. The common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) is sacred to him.
  • 4. Ȝumm̃a̋ltu Arma̋itu of the Humans; she is responsible for the discipline of earth sciences. Her connection to the dweomery enables her to create earthquakes, landslides, etc. The common rosefinch (Carpodacus erythrinus) is sacred to her.
  • 5. Ȝumȝa̋ku Aurva̋tu of the Xylans; she is responsible for the discipline of botany. Her connection to the dweomery enables her to promote the growth and death of plants. The green woodpecker (Picus viridis) is sacred to her.
  • 6. Ȝumgővtu Ámerta̋tu of the Lithans; he is responsible for the discipline of arts. His connection to the dweomery enables him to make himself and those with him invisible. The jackdaw (Corvus monedula) is sacred to him.

The Pyrans

• Since the Pyrans live about 200 years and the women go into estrus only once a year, family control is easy. In order to avoid overpopulation, only two to four children are produced in the Pyran family. The population does grow, but in a more-or-less controlled fashion. The Pyran family unit consists of the father and mother, and their minor children. If the father is the oldest living son, he may also have his parents living with them.

The Hydorans

• Since the Hydorans live about 100 years and the women go into estrus only once a year, family control is easy. Anywhere from two to five children are produced in the Hydoran family. Since the mortality rate of children is high, the Hydorans tend to give birth to more children. Husbands do not live in the same dwelling with their families. All the men live in a communal house (m̃ira̋ito), including unmarried males when they reach their majority, and visit their wives when they wish. The family unit consists of the matriarch (senma̋a̋ma), her widowed sisters, her daughters, and their minor children. The family lives in a thatch house, known as an a̋ito.

The Humans

• Human families will have from two to four children. It is important that there be a male child, more so than with the other three reproductive Peoples. The Human settlement (ṡe̋im̃o) consists of an extended family: a paterfamilias (ðamta̋a̋ta), his sons and their wives and their children and the children’s children. Enough males are needed to manage the family’s herd of horses. When the family herd becomes too large for the area to sustain, one of the younger sons will take his family and horses and become ðamta̋a̋ta in a new area. There is plenty of room in the steppes.

The Xylans

• Each Xylan builds for himself a log cabin (raaþm̃e̋e̋so) in his personal territory in the forest. It is here that he keeps his supplies and personal items, but he is seldom in his cabin. The Xylans roam freely across the land.

The Lithans

• Since the Lithans live about 300 years and the women go into estrus only once every three years, family control is easy. In order to avoid overpopulation, only two to four children are produced in the Lithan family. The population does grow, but in a more-or-less controlled fashion. The family unit consists of the father and mother and their minor children. If the father is the oldest son, he may also have his parents living with them.

Inheritance - xe̋ȝa

• Because the men are away with the herds a large part of the year, the Humans adopted a matriarchal society. All possessions are inherited matrilineally, except for the horses, which are inherited patrilineally.
• In Lithan society all possessions are inherited patrilineally.

Kinship system - paasta̋go

• The kinship system used by the four procreating Peoples distinguishes all near relatives, both lineal and collateral. Descriptive words for lineal relatives include father, mother, brother (extended to elder and younger), sister (extended to elder and younger), son, daughter, grandfather, and grandmother. General words for great grandfather and great grandmother, and for great grandson and granddaughter use the sex proclitics (male, ur-; female, ii-) to distinguish.
• Descriptive words for collateral relatives include paternal uncle and aunt, maternal uncle and aunt, uncles' sons and daughters and aunts' sons and daughters. Any further collateral descendants are named cousin. The sex proclitics may be used to distinguish if desired.
• With respect to marriage there are words for husband, wife, and co-wife.
• Descriptive words for near in-laws include father-in-law, mother-in-law, husband's brother, wife's brother, husband's sister, wife's sister, brother's wife, and sister's husband. Their children are known by the general terms son-in-law and daughter-in-law.
• The prefix paaþ- (< pa̋a̋ta, nourish) is used to name foster father, mother, brother, and sister.
• The suffix -m̨̃u is used to name step-father, -mother, -brother, and –sister.
• These descriptive words do not differentiate according to the sex of the ego.
• For a complete list, v. Senjecas kin.