Sefdaanian Ethnography Chapter 4 - Family

Family life - ðamǧı̨̋ȝa

• 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., ɱe̋ini, 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: ɱe̋inu, 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 Dąɱa̋lu (river strong), whose father is named Ma̋lru (full of strength), who lives in a village named Mįrkı̋lo (peaceful village, in the western river region Mezdą̋ṅa would have the full name Mezdąṅa̋s Mįrkilős Dąɱa̋lu 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 Paikę̋ᵹu (“white doe”), whose mother is named Disų̋lu (“bright sun”), who lives in a village named Dąne̋ðo (“river walk”), in the little river region Lųðdą̋ṅa would have the full name Lųðdąṅa̋s Dąneðős Paikę̋ᵹu aþ-Disų̋lu.
• 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 Daɱa̋lu aþ-Ma̋lru and Paikę̋ᵹu aþ-Disų̋lu.
• It is possible for any of the People to receive an epithet for a great deed done, e.g., Dąɱa̋lu Máilkądǫ̋nu, 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 - ðampą̋ta

The Ethrans

• The Ethrans live in large compounds known as citadels (ðų̋no). 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 (seȝǫ̋nu)
  • 2. 12 praetors (zı̋lþu)
  • 3. 36 archons (vęlǫ̋nu)
  • 4. 144 adepts (ᵹalǫ̋nu)
  • 5. 720 guardians (pǫtǫ̋nu)
  • 6. 4,320 ministers (nįxǫ̋nu)
• The mages have been appointed as guardians and caretakers of the Six Loquent Peoples:
  • 1. Ȝumɱa̋ka Ma̋nu (the archimage) of the Ethrans; he is responsible for the discipline of astronomy. His connection to the dwimery enables him to control the weather and airflow.
  • 2. Ȝumłe̋ntu A̋su of the Pyrans; she is responsible for the discipline of zoology. Her connection to the dwimery enables her to control animals.
  • 3. Ȝumą̋þu Sa̋þru of the Hydorans; he is responsible for the discipline of the physical sciences. His connection to the dwimery enables him to create and control fire.
  • 4. Ȝumɱa̋ltu Arma̋itu of the Humans; she is responsible for the discipline of earth sciences. Her connection to the dwimery enables her to create earthquakes.
  • 5. Ȝumȝa̋ku Aurva̋tu of the Xylans; she is responsible for the discipline of botany. Her connection to the dwimery enables her to promote the growth and death of plants.
  • 6. Ȝumgővtu Ámerta̋tu of the Lithans; he is responsible for the discipline of arts. His connection to the dwimery enables him to make himself and those with him invisible.

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 (koinde̋mo), including unmarried males when they reach their majority, and visit their wives when they wish. The family unit consists of the matriarch (senmą̋ma), 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 (ce̋iɱo) consists of an extended family: a paterfamilias (ðamta̋ta), 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 ðamta̋ta in a new area. There is plenty of room in the steppes.

The Xylans

• Each Xylan builds for himself a log cabin (rąþɱę̋so) 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 - pąsta̋go

• 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 great-granddaughter use the sex proclitics (male, ur; female, į) 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 pąþ- (<pą̋ta, nourish) is used to name foster father, mother, brother, and sister. The suffix -ɱ̇u is used to name stepfather, -mother, -brother, and –sister.
• These descriptive words do not differentiate according to the sex of the ego.
• For a complete list, v. Senjecas kin.