Sevnóni
The first line of Men
Etymology & Exonyms
The endonym Sevnóni is derived from the Proto-Sevnóni term Siǫuvni, meaning "the people" or "relating to the people". This was the first name used for and by Sevnóni ethnic groups, and has gradually evolved into the modern endonym over the millennia. The primary exonym used to describe the Sevnóni is the Westwythian term Wîzerstisch, an ethnonym meaning "men of the white ridge" used by Wythians for the Sevnóni peoples since ancient times. Among other foreign exonyms for the Sevnóni people are the Sinopan Othoré; Alessan Othari; Aparnovosi Segystri; and Sijmeni Othoivka. These stem from Othorüm, an ancient name for Sevnónicha meaning north or northernmost, or from the Sevnóni people's seemingly-natural affinity for the arcane.History
Origins
Relationship with the Dręvinzyk
Characteristics & Culture
Appearance
Due to the relative geographic isolation of their homeland, coupled with their long-standing animosity towards their southern neighbors, the Sevnóni possess numerous unique features and traits that set them apart from the rest of Wythe. They are a tall people, standing about two ell (Wythian: yards) on average; Vsevolod III Longshanks, King of Sevnónicha during the 11th century BU, was said to have stood nearly two and one-half ell tall. Their hair is typically a fiery auburn; the last vestige of the long-dead Dręvinzyk's presence in Sevnónicha, and is worn long by men and women alike. Most Sevnóni possess bright hazel eyes, while those hailing from the Crownlands have darker eyes flecked with bits of gold. Both men and women are broad in stature, although this feature is particularly pronounced in the men of Sevnónicha; during the Imperial Era, many Westwythian Lords sought out Sevnóni men to serve as escorts and bodyguards due to their intimidating presence. Nasir Ibn Saud, famed Erzihari explorer of the Pre-Imperial Era, ventured as far north as Sevnónicha during his four year exploration of the known world, and described its inhabitants thusly:These men have ruddy faces, long hair, and eyes the colour of coffee. Their men are bearded, while the women hide their hair in a kaffiyeh of sorts. All are tall and especially strong. Their hair is neither blond nor black, instead favouring a reddish colouration. Their features are hardy and stout, no doubt a response to their frigid homeland. [...] The cold, even when it is intense, is healthful to them, but the heat destroys them.
Clothing & Material Culture
Food & Agriculture
Language
The aptly-named Sevnóni is the native language of the Sevnóni people, having served as the common language of their homeland for countless centuries. It is the sole surviving language of the Sevnóni language branch and a member of the Lago-Wythian language family. Its written form uses the Ostromiric script and alphabet, the only known extant language to do so. The Ostromiric alphabet is characterized by... Sevnóni-speakers use the language in a uniform manner throughout most of the country, though numerous dialects coexist alongside standard Sevnóni in certain regions. The most common dialects in Sevnónicha are Rodyuchian, primarily spoken in the western valley of Lotów, and Krölsy, which was used solely used in Ne Hranstic prior to its destruction. Additionally, the cloistered Züürdyn shamans of the Rorzh'i Vrokyshyy mountains use their own nonstandard dialect, mutually intelligible with standard Sevnóni but with innumerable differences in grammar and pronunciation. Sevnónicha is linguistically homogeneous – all but a fraction of Sevnónicha's citizens name Sevnóni as their father tongue.Naming Customs
Forms of Addressing Others
The Sevnóni utilize a complex set of rules for addressing others: holdovers from an era in Sevnóni history when one's social standing determined the dialect spoken publicly. Often difficult for foreign speakers to navigate successfully, this system was largely ignored by Sevnónicha's Wythian inhabitants during the occupation, and was almost exclusively maintained by the native Sevnóni population. It has since seen a substantial revival in the Post-Imperial Era.
When addressing others, the social status of your speaking partner is the determining factor when deciding what name to use. In groups of peers, youth, or other similar social groups, the given name is traditionally the sole name used for informal conversation. Even more informally, diminutive or 'short' names can be used to converse with certain members of one's inner circle, typically family members, romantic partners, or close friends. Information on addressing those of a different social standing than your own is detailed below.
higher social standing
Example: Yarosev Zakharovich
A staple of official communication, this form conveys the speaker's respect for the recipient and by extension, the recipient's father. To ignore the patronymic in many situations is considered offensive; in Pre-Imperial Sevnónicha, the exclusion of the patronymic when conversing with a superior was grounds for invoking Kolowoj (Wythian: Duel, lit: "Circle-War").
One thing to note regarding this form is that should the recipient bear a title (such as Lord or Maester), it is considered polite to address them by their title followed by either their given name + patronymic or simply their patronymic. A student of Vyssíjórgen, for example, would address the Archmaester of Arithmetic as Archmaester Svetlana Pavelovna or Archmaester Pavelovna, not as Svetlana Pavelovna.
lower social standing
Example: Vasylovich
Traditionally used to address students or children other than one's own, this form sees little use outside of informal conversation. By ignoring the given name entirely but including the patronymic, the speaker indicates their respect for the recipient's father, even if they do not necessarily hold the same respect for the recipient themselves.
Should the relationship between the speaker and recipient change without a shift in either's social standing (for example, an apprentice craftsman rising to become a journeyman whilst remaining beneath their master in status), it is customary for the speaker to switch to an informal variant of the recipient's patronymic, reflecting the increase in familiarity between the pair.
Religion
Distribution & Relations with non-Sevnóni
