Gevile living #1: family

There's not much point in inventing a conworld, a conlang or a conculture unless you can do something with it. I like to show off my constuff on my website. But what would it be like to live in my conworld?

The key city (for me at this time) in my conworld is a city called Gevile (pronounced ge-vi-le - for a guide to pronunciation of the words that follow, check out this page on my website). Over the course of the next few weeks - when I haven't got much else to posts - I'll post little snippets of information on what it would be like to live in Gevile.

Birth, family and growing up in Gevile

You would probably have been born in one of the jaarvagzuush (temple infirmaries) found across the city. Your moeme (mother) would have given birth standing or crouching, assisted by a jwe'he (midwife). Your bizhve (father) would probably not have been present at the birth. Your shnaathuu (placenta) would almost certainly have been cooked and shared between the whole family.

It is most likely that you are not a single basate (child), as gyanesh (women) routinely have between three and five basatem during their fertile period. It is likely that your husplozdem (siblings) would be much older or younger than you, as the average time between basatem is about five jinsuush (years).

There's a possibility that the loife (man) you call "bizhve" is not your biological father - estimates vary, but up to 30% of all basatesh born in Gevile are believed to be the result of liaisons outside the recognised relationship. Not that you mind: everyone will spoil you rotten throughout your basaconuu (childhood). In particular, zgatesh (uncles and aunts) will make a big fuss over you.

Your closest óhslesh (friends) are likely to be your rhaajesh (cousins), and it's probable you and your gang of óhslesh would have made a nuisance of yourselves throughout the vopshe (city). You will also have been involved in a fair number of gang fights, but nothing very serious - one thing the cuklamesh (adults) around you will not tolerate is mahcantsuu (violence and bullying).

You probably hit cuklamalhetuu (puberty) around the age of 13 (for vuefnesh - girls) or 15 (for raptesh - boys). Things got a lot more complicated after that, though the belguu (coming-of-age party) in your honour to celebrate this entry into cuklamconuu (adulthood) would have been fun, given that it lasts all day and most of the night.