Proto-Drem:
Reference
Grammar of B’anabadujando
Table of Contents
Introduction
Language
People
Trade
& local groups
Weapons
& warfare
Art
& music
Mining
& engineering
History
Phonology
start
Transliteration/Orthography
Allophones
Consonants
Phonological
Implosives
Regular
Nasal
Nasals
Regular
Pre-nasalized
stops
Stops
Regular
Bilabial-velar
Fricatives
Approximants
Taps/Trills
Grammatical
Usage
Consonant
Mutation
Spirantization
Spirantization
of liquids
Causitives
Other
causative mutation
Nasals
Nasal
harmony
Voicing
concerns
Odd
nasal voicing
Vowels
Phonological
Front
vowels
Central
vowels
Back
vowels
Semi-vowels
Grammatical
Inventory
of vowels
Word
medial contrasts
Word
final contrasts
Word
categories
Vowel
Alterations
Non-high
vowel matching
Loanword
Sequences
Common
sequences
Uncommon
sequences
Neutralization
of /u:/
Morphological
conditions of vowel length
Genitive
pronouns
-ndo
suffix
Singular
Plural
Vowel
Mutation
Vowel
clusters needing glide
Vowel
coalescing
Causative
vowel mutation
Words
with contrasts
Proto-Drem
Vowel Harmony
Pieces
of Syllable
Segment
Rime
Syllable
Onset
Medial
Nucleus
Coda
Mora
Syllable
Weight
Light
CV
Heavy
CVV
CVC
Superheavy
CVVC
Consonant
placement chart
ATR chart
Total
Vowel Harmony
Nouns
with total VH
Nouns
with a- prefix
Height
Harmony
Subjects
and Verbs
High/high
High/Low
Low/High
Low/Low
Objects
High/High
High/Low
Low/High
Low/Low
Front
& Rounding Harmony
Subjects
and Verbs
Rounding
of /i/
Fronting
of /u/
Objects
Rounding
of /i/
Fronting
of /u/
Epenthetic
vowels in
Intransitive
Transitive
Proto-Drem
Foot structure
Footed
syllables
LH
HL
LL
H
Non-footed
syllables
Final
syllable L
S
Foot
for /a
LH
HL
LL
H
Treatment
of final syllables
CV-total
harmony
CVC
CV
…CV
(final syllable of LL or HL)
CV
(L foot – no VH)
CVV
(S foot – no VH)
Long
vowels
CV
CVV
Possible
Foot structures
(H)
(H)(H)
(H)L
(H)(LH)
(H)(LL)
(H)(HL)
(LL)(H)
(LL)
(LL)(H)
(LH)
(LH)L
(LH)(LH)
(LH)(H)
(LH)(LL)
The
Superheavies
S
(L)S
(LL)S
(H)S
(H)(H)S
Frequency
List
Tones
Contrast
in tones
Mora
vs. Syllable
Contour
vs. Register
Discrete
vs. Terrace (Downstep)
Surface
Tones
Phonemic Tones
Mid-weak
Mid-Strong
TBU
(Tone Bearing Unit)
Function
of Tones
Tone
contrasts/inventory
Contour
Tones
Thru
Elision
Thru
Derivation
Allotones
Question
marker
Final
syllable
Negatives
Tone
change sources
Downstep
Absorbtion
Tone
sound changes
Falling
tone
Reduplication
Tone
styles
Neither
lexical or grammatical
Lexical
Grammatical
Both
lexical and grammatical
Tone
Binding
Simple
CAUS+PP
TMA+PP
Complex
CAUS+TMA+PP
LOC+TMA+PP
Downstep/Downdrift
Kinds
of conditions
Phonological
Syntactical
Environments
where it applies
N+N
genitives
Stems
V+DO
TAM
DO
complements
IDO
complements
Verb
of motion+locative
Numbers
Environments
where it does not apply
Non
pronominal subjects+verb
Verb+Subj
complement
Noun+determiner
Noun+number
Noun+ATTV
Noun+Ideophonic
ATTV
Noun+Relative
clause
Noun+A/abo
phrase
Verb+Questioned
Obj
ATTV+modifier
Word
classes that don’t undergo
Proper
names
V+DO
Determiners
Demonstratives
Numbers
Question
markers
Morphemes
that don’t undergo
Proper
names
Bimoraic
propositions
Presentives
ATTV’s
Imperative
modal
Phrase
HTL
Genitivies
Pattern
1
Pattern
2
Host/Affixes
Subj+Verb
Prep+complement
HTS
(High Tone Spread)
HTS
across syllables
Single
Two
Three
Tone
Spread issues on pronouns
1st
& 2nd Person
3rd
Person
Blocking
of HTS
Lexical
Tones
Morphological
specific tone
TAM
Pronouns
Verbal
extensions
Lexical
Falling tone
Lexical
Rising tone
Variable
Tone
Initial
variable tone
Nouns,
attv
Determiners+related
Personal
Pronouns
Independent
PP
PP+affix
Medial
Variable tone
Nouns,
attv
Determiners+related
Personal
Pronouns
Independent
PP
PP+affix
Variable
Toneshift Lowering (VTSL)
N+PP
Hab+Verb+Affix
Blocking
VTSL
HV
LH-H
H-H
V
Exceptions
Imperative
with Direct Object Pronoun
Tone
Depressors
Tone
lowering
Blocking HTS
Blocking
tone doubling
Voiced
intials
Initial
stops
Medial
and final stops
Dialects
Tone
variation
Syllable
types with final /a_F/
Vertical
assimilation
Horizontal
assimilation
Low
tone spread
Tonal
absorbtion
Contour
tones
Sequences
used in dialects
Contour
tone rules
Law
of Like-Neighbor
Contour
leveling
Dissimilation
Absorbtion
Historical
Comparison
Proto-Migration
tonal notes
HTA
(High Tone Anticipation)
Bound
HTA
Unbound
HTA
Complications
HTS
Hi-tone
within extended stem
Hi-tone
across words
Development
of HTA
Phrase
final syllable
Phrasal
HTA
Combined
Old
Coastal tonal system
Four
way Distinction
HH
HL
LH
LL
Distinction
neutralization
Mergers
with new forms
Total
mergers
Tone
Shifts on HH/HL merger
2
syllable non-merge
3
syllable merge
Tone
Merge
CVCV
VCV
Verb
Root tone types
Toneless
Hi-tone
Hi-tone
+ tense
Pattern
1
Pattern
2
Pattern
3
OCP
Violations
Tone
Doubling rule
HH
Tone changes
Doubled
Hi-tone
Floating
Hi-tone
Noun
stems with Hi-tone fall-off
Hi-tone
not affected
Downstep
(HH -> H!H -> HM)
Old
Coastal HL Contour tones
CVV(C)
CVV
/a:/ - falling tone
CVR
CVR
/h/ - falling tone
CVO
CVO
/s/ - falling tone
Proto-Drem Language Structure
Root Structure
Stem Structure
Nouns
Noun
Classes
Noun
class oddities
Personal
Noun classes
Non-personal
noun classes
Wood,
fruit, nuts
Tools,
metal, stone
Natural
objects
Abstracts
Liquids,
powders, minerals
Sacred
Numbers
Pronoun
concords
Animate
concords
Inanimate
concords
Usage
Personal
pronoun concords
Emphatic
Associative
Possessive
Subject
Direct
Object
Indirect
Object
Obviative
Possession
General
concord types
Attributive
concords
Associative
Demonstrative
Negative
Possessive
Interoggative
Adjectival
Relative
Subject
Object
Noun-verb
agreement concords
Usage
Subjects
Structure
Nominal
Subjects
Pronomial Subjects
Singular
Subject-Verb
agreement in Aorist
Questioned
Subjects
Impersonal
Subjects
Weather
expressions
Expletive
subjects
Subject
Complements
Objects
Structure
Nominal
Objects
Tone
Shifts
Verb
Morphology that blocks automatic downshift
Word
categories that resist AD
Nominal
Indirect Objects
DO
and IDO Pronoun tones
Tone
Shifts
Final
affix/Possessive
Semantic
IDO affixes
-n
-aku
-taa
Object
Complements
Relationship
Discovery/Perception
Object
transformation
Tone
Shifts
Ideophones
Comparitive
and Superlatives
Comparatives
Structure
Standard
Usage
Comparatives
Equality
Less
than
Questions
& Negation
Negatives
Questions
Misc
Constructions
Superlatives
Structure
Standard
Negatives
& Questions
Negation
Questions
Combined
comparative/superlative usage
Standard
Eastern
Forest
Intensification
Regular
usage
Comparitives
w/ Intensifiers
Superlatives
w/ Intensifiers
Degrees
w/ Intensifiers
Comparison
of Degrees
Amounts
Distance
Food/recipes
Superlatives
Precission
as interjection
Formal
usage
Colloquial
Abuses
Use
of –ŋ as Intensifier
Compound
words
Intensified
verb
Normal
verb
Intensified
affix
Pejoratives
Nouns
Verbs
Oddities
Locatives
General
Structure
Locatives
derived from nouns
Compass
points/Direction
Non
additional info
Yes
additional info
Place/Area
Vague
Specific
location
Place
names
Questions
Without
LOC needed
With
LOC needed
Pro
Locatives
Locative-like
Question-like
Verbs
Start
Verb
Structure
Verbal
extensions
Intransitive
state, condition
Applicative
Causative
Static
Augmentive
Reciprocal
Reversive
Perfective
Positional
Contactive
Denominative
Parts
of a Verb
Compound
verbs
Compounds
Verb-Noun
Noun-Verb
Verb-Verb
Resultive
verbs
Directional
verbs
Serial
verbs
Conditions
for creation
Semantic
types
Manner
Sequential
Resultive
Posture
Directional
Poorly
formed SVC’s
The Verb re-
Singular
Subject repeating same action
Singular
Subject repeating same action to one object
Singular
subject iteratively on plural objects
Plural
subjects acting iteratively on plural objects
Plural
subjects acting iteratively on 1 object
Plural
subjects acting iteratively on plural objects
Other
ways to show plural actions
CVC+VCV
reduplication
Redup
roots that prefer epenthetic /j/ & /w/
Redup
CV + TAM
Past
Immediate
Recent
Remote
Anterior
Past
Immediate
Recent
Remote
Non-Past
Immediate
Recent
Remote
Anterior
Non-Past
Immediate
Recent
Remote
Tone
and Final vowels
Active,
non-productive
CVgiC
CVgiCV
Pluractional
w/ geminating
Nasals
Liquids
Infixed
& Geminated agreement
Singular
Transitive
DO
Plural
Trans
Subj
Intrans
Subj
Trans
IDO
Combined
Subj & Object
Singular
Subj & Plural DO
Plural
Subj & Plural DO
Serial
Pluractional Constructions (SPC)
Tense-Modall System
Introduction
Tense
Tense vs
Time
Subjectivity
of Tense
Imprecission
of Tense
Aspect
Inherent
Aspect
Short
Duration
Completeness
Verbs
Activity Verbs
Stative
verbs
Perfective vs
Imperfective
Progressive
Habitual
The Perfect
Grammatical Tone
Tones
Hi-tone
Lo-Tone
Mid-Tone
Conjugations
Modals/Verbal Affixes
Subjunctive
Sentence
final
Sentence
initial
Indicitive
Imperative
Sentence
final
Sentence
Initial
Injunctive/Advisory
Sentence
final
Sentence
initial
Locative/Copula
Sentence
final
Sentence
initial
Habitual/Iterative
Frequentive
Iterative
Distributive
Iterative/Distributive
complex
Decisional
Habitual
Perfect
Progressive
Negative
Progressive
Libetic
Cohortative
Conditional
If
As
long as
Inferential
Regutive
Conversion Affixes
Progressive
Sentence Affixes
Benefactive
Ndaga
Ndebi
Ndubo
Ndubu
Tenses
Past
Immediate
Recent
Remote
Anterior
Past
Immediate
Recent
Remote
Non-Past
Immediate
Recent
Remote
Anterior
Non-Past
Immediate
Recent
Remote
Miscellaneous Usage
Dynamic
Stative
Durative
Punctual
Voice
in Proto-Drem
Active
Voice
Passive
Voice
Verb
“to be”
Using
negation
“To
be” in mathematics
“To
be” in locations
Modal
Auxilliaries
Possibility/Probability
Ability/Permission
Necessity
Obligation
‘Want
to’
Stative
verbs
Stative
Form
Singular
Plural
Unusual
Stative
as Attv
Linked
Hi Tone
Independent
Lo Tone
Statives
as Predicate
Inchoatice
Existing
State
Statives
as complements
Object
complement
CNVA
complement
Miscellaneous
constructions
a-,
abo-
Phrasal
styles
One
who…
Ones
who…
One
associated with…
Tones
Tone
shift
No
Tone shift
Syntax
Nouns
Verbs
Associations
Dominion
over…
Traits/Abilities
Neutral
Sarcastic
Verb
Specifics
W/o
aspectual marker
With
aspectual marker
Negatives
Questions
Associative
specifics
Place
Names
Tone
Shift
No
Tone Shift
Causitives
Form
1
Form
2
Form
3
‘To
give’ DO/IDO
Conjunctions
Gbe
Ŋu
Ant
Ŋi
Relational/Kinship
affixes
Verbs
of Utterance/Mental Activity/Perception
Common
verb list
Interjections
Interjection
usage
Alternate
Syntax
As
Subject+Verb
As
ATTV
As
Object
Attributive verbs
Things
of note
Fluid
status
As
adjective
As
verb
Combination
w/ tense & mood markup
Comparatives
ATTV
using modifiers
Pronominal
mods
Prepositional
modifiers
Case
marking
ATTV
as peredicate
Showing
number agreement
Showing
noun class/concord agreement
Headless
ATTV’s
Simple
ATTV’s
Complex
ATTV’s
Doubled
roots
Modification
of ATTV’s
Mod+ATTV
ATTV+Mod
CV
reduplication
Comparison
of ATTV’s
Degrees
Equality
As
much as
Similar
Not
lose to
Interrogative
comparisons
Negative
comparisons
Excessives
Superlatives
Participatory
ATTV’s
Active
Passive
Attributive Verbs – Noun phrase
Regular
Ideophonic
Tone
Texture/Taste/Smell
attv’s
Syntax of Attributive
verbs
Attributive
modifiers
HL
tone form
F
tone form
Demonstratives
Person
Pronouns
Relative
clauses
Predicates,
complements
Predicates
Subject
complements
Object
complements
ATTV’s in
nominal usage
ATTV’s in
pronominal usage
Partial
& Full reduplication
ATTV
Predicate
Object
complement
Color
expressions
CV
reduplication for “Noun-like”
Ideophonic Attributive verbs – Noun phrase
Forms
Pattern 1
Pattern 2
Pattern 3
CVGVC
CV(S)CVC
CVC(I)CVC
Pattern 4
CVggiCVŋ
CVgiCV
CV(labial)(labial)iVm
CVnCiVn
Miscellaneous
Pattern 5
XCvv type
Syntax
Attribute
modifiers
Ideophone
like modifiers
Used
with adjectives
Used
with verb derived statives
Predicate
adjective, subject & object complements
Predicate
of equational sentence
Subject
complement
Object
complement
Dialect
Historical comparisons
Attributive verbs – verb phrase
Adverbs of Manner
Form 1
Form 2 --
Form 3
Form 4
Form 5
Modification of adverbs
Comparison of Adverbs
Equal
Excessive
Superlative
As…as
possible
Adverbs of Time
Adverbs of Frequency
Adverbs of Degree
Adverbs-Adjective
similarities
Adverb specifics
Numbers
Cardinals
Ordinals
Fractions-Multiples
Measurements
Distances
Distribution
Quantifiers
Approximation
Restriction
More than
Less than
As many as
Time Expressions
This, next, last
Beginning, during,
middle, end
Ago, witin, since
Duration of time
Dremish Speech Conventions
Thanks
Apollogies
Polite requests
Misunderstandings
Socializing
Phrase/Clause/Sentences
Phrases
Verb
Phrases
Prepositional
Phrases (Sub/Verb)
Prepositional
Phrases (Objects)
Adjectival
Noun Phrases-Active
voice
Noun
Phrases-Object
Noun
Phrases-Passive voice
Noun
Phrases-Subject
Noun
Phrases-Object
Possessive/Genitive
phrases
Forms
of genitives
Automatic
downshift
Variable
downshift
With
AD
w/o
AD
Meaning
relationships
Linked
genitives
Location
Time
Regular-Linked
Genitives
Regular
Linked
Regular
possessive pronouns + N2
Pre-affix
tone lowering
Hi
tone lowering
Variable
tone lowering
Nouns
ending in HH
Closed
syllables
Open
syllables
Final
vowel reduction
Body
parts
Non-body
parts
Nouns
that lengthen vowels
Nouns
that lengthen w/o plurals
Special
case Kin terms
Singular
Plural
Linker
–ti
Tone
shift
No
tone shift
Person
Place
Irregular
Genitives
Clauses
Structure-SVO
Structure-VOS
Word order
& Topicalization
Simple Verb
Clauses
Basic
Word Order
SVO
VS
VOS
–
Function
Marking
Subjects
Objects
DO
IDO
Sub/Obj complements
Gbe
Nj’ə
Nj’ə
Tone
Shift
No
Tone shift
Locatives
Goal
Nja
Nj’ə
Guwa
Manner
Adverbs
Temporal
Adverbs
Multiple
noun phrase
Order
examples
IDO
Locatives
Nj’ə
Manner
Temporal
Post
verb affixes
Locatives
Subject
– transitive
Subject
– Intransitive
Negation
& Word order
Miscellaneous
Verbal Clauses
Subordinate clauses
Conditional
clauses
The
‘Reason’ clauses
Concessive
clauses
Purpose
clauses
Additive
clauses
Time
clauses
Direct-Indirect
speech
Imperatives
Exemplification
Simple
Non-Verb Clauses
Equational
clause
Affirmative
Negative
Question
& Answer
Subject
Predicate
Identification
clause
Subject
Predicate
Adjectival
clause
Affirmative
Negative
Question
& Answer
Subject
Predicate
Degree
& Intensifier
Number
Clauses
Affirmative
Negative
Questions
Name
Clauses
Affirmative
Negative
Questions
Locative
clauses
Animate
Inanimate
Negative
locative
Animate
Inanimate
Question
& Answer
Subject
a-/abo-
Predicate
1st Person
Subject
1st Person
Questioning
Locative
Affic
–mbu
Stative
verbs and Locatives
Progressive
CNVA
RU-Locative
Directional
RU-Locative
Existential
clause
Locatives
Locative
Neg
Locative
Affirmatives
Affirmation
Neg
Affirmation
Questions
Locations
Affirmatives
Presentation
clause
Proximal
Distal
Have
clause
Affirmatives
Negatives
Question
& Answer
Subject
Possession
Answering
Regular
Subject
Subject
Pronouns
Sentences
Simple
Sentences
SVO
Structure
VOS
Structure
Equational
Sentences
Affirmative
Singular
Plural
Negative
Singular
Plural
Equational
Questions
Subjects
Predicates
Indentification
Affirmative
Singular
Plural
Context
No Plural
Special
Cases
Negative
Singular
Plural
Intensification
Negation
Degree
Affixes
Negation
Questions
Adjectives
Number
Predicates
Name
Predicates
As
statement
As
question
Sentence Affixes
Politeness
affixes
Mood
Affixes
General
mood affixes
For
Negation
Negating main
Negative resultive
Negating Auxilliary
Za
Ru
Bujna
Modifying negatives
Imperatives
Causatives
Questions
Conditionals
Saying ‘No’
Useful negative
expressions
Two further negatives
Dialects
Historical comparisons
Questions
Yes/No
Wh- Questions
Who
Whose
What
Which
Where
When
Why
How?
Manner
Degree
How many
How much
Wh- Seeking advice
Alternative Questions
Indirect Questions
Dialects
Historical comparisons
Conversion Affixes
Verb/Adj -> Noun
(state)
Verb/Adj -> Noun
(Action)
Noun -> Adverb
(with)
Noun -> Adverb
Verb -> Adjective
Dialects
Historical comparisons
Color-Design terms
Cultural meanings
White
Black
Red
Contextual significance
Dialects
Historical comparisons
Dialects
Consonant
changes
Loss
of final /w/
Formation
of /_w/
/s/
to /z/
/J/
to /n/
Loss
of final word /j/
The
/h/
Word
final /h/
Medial
/h/
Word
initial /h/
Vowel
changes
Word
final /@/
Vowel
clusters
V:
to V
Tone
changes
Falling
Tone
Rising
Tone
HL
simplification
LH
simplification
Simplification
& rising
Simplification
& falling
Miscellaneous
changes
Loss
of super heavy syllables
VH
issues
Consonant
changes
Loss
of final /w/
Formation
of /_w/
/s/
to /z/
/J/
to /n/
Loss
of final word /j/
The
/h/
Word
final /h/
Medial /h/
Word
initial /h/
Vowel
changes
Word
final /@/
Vowel
clusters
V:
to V
Tone
changes
Falling
Tone
Rising
Tone
HL
simplification
LH
simplification
Simplification
& rising
Simplification
& falling
Miscellaneous
changes
Loss
of super heavy syllables
VH
issues
Elision
issues
Consonant
changes
Loss
of final /w/
Formation
of /_w/
/s/
to /z/
/J/
to /n/
Loss
of final word /j/
The
/h/
Word
final /h/
Vowel
changes
Word
final /@/
Vowel
clusters
Tone
changes
Falling
Tone
Rising
Tone
HL
simplification
LH
simplification
Combination
simplification
Consonant
changes
Loss
of final /w/
Formation
of /_w/
/s/
to /z/
/J/
to /n/
Loss
of final word /j/
The
/h/
Word
final /h/
Medial
/h/
Word
initial /h/
Vowel
changes
Word
final /@/
EFVS
(
Tone
changes
Falling
Tone
Rising
Tone
HL
simplification
LH
simplification
Simplification
& rising
Simplification
& falling
Miscellaneous
changes
VH
issues
PROTO-DREM:
Introduction:
The Language
Proto-Drem or B’anabadujando (lit. Speech (of) our people) was
the language spoken by the semi-nomadic tribes that lived around the modern
city of
The language is thought to have started out as
agglutinative, and changed over time into fusional, returning to partial and
later more total agglutination as time went on. This cycle was probably
repeated a few times…
The dialects for the different areas also presents and
interesting contrast. The highlanders are considered to be the standard bearer
for the language and so this grammar and language work is taken from their
dialect. Their dialect is a slight bit different than the standard language
presented here and is seen in the dialect, sound change section. The
The People
The people lived in small encampments, made of pliable
branches and covered in hides, of probably 20 to 40 adults and up to 20
children. The settlement is considered a single clan, where family groups would
cluster around a circular courtyard for cooking, washing of clothes, and the
family groups would enclose a large ‘great courtyard’ for special events,
ceremonies, to organize raids, hunts and to dispense a simple form of justice.
The encampments would usually stay year round, as the family groups would move
around the clans’ territory for fresh areas to hunt, gather berries and nuts.
The encampments would usually be next to a source of water, usually a running
stream or creek whereby fresh fish or eels could be caught as well.
The Drem are a hearty stock. The men are usually 5’2” when
grown and the women are about 4’8” when grown, and the average life span is
about 33. Life is harsh for these people as most die of disease or wounds
during hunting. Children are generally children, yet are trained early on their
roles in society, men, to hunt and provide food, and women to take care of the
hut and raise healthy children. The children when considered adults about the
age of 13, take a mate, and start a family of their own. Most Drem have 4 or 5
children, some even more, as women generally stop having children by the time
they are 25.
The Drem dress is what would be typical for a late stone
age, early copper age people. The standard is tanned animal skins, carefully
sown for a good snug feel. The clothes have fur lining for warmth. The typical dress for men is a moccasin like
shoe, leggings, shirt, over-shirt, and a cap. The typical dress for women is a
moccasin like shoe, long skirt for cold weather, short, and knee length skirt
for warm, and a shirt with a over shirt for cold weather. The tanned hides are
usually from large herbivores, namely the Aurochs which are the large Ice Age
Bison which still roam the forests that the Drem hunt.
Since the Drem range over a wide area, roughly 10,000 square
miles, the clans are generally spready out along the western coats, thru the
great western highlands, along the lakes, and even north towards the spider
fens and the reptilian Sslaas. They also dwell thru the forests of the Great
Kornoth woods, and into the south in the
Trade and
Local groups
The western Coastal Dremish clans typically use clam shells
and shellfish for bead work, and dune grasses as medicines to relieve bleeding.
The Drem here build capable canoes to take them to the islands off the coast
and hunt for shore birds, and raid for eggs, and some clans have even started
to settle on the islands and call them home, as they live exclusively by
fishing. The people here are excellent traders using the sea, and their goods
are found in all Dremish area except for the
The Highlands Dremish clans are the ones using copper, and
have the best quality flint, which for the area is a bluish gray. These Drem
also have significant mines, and the veins of flint take them underground,
small pockets of gemstones are found also, and are usually hoarded instead of
traded for. The area is covered in small streams, lush forests, ample game, and
is the typical area of Drem life. The language and culture is taken from these
clans who dwell in the Western highlands. The tradegoods are found amongst the
coastal and
The
The eastern forest dwellers are the most territorial due to
their non-human neighbors. The weapons used here are of good quality, and in
plentiful supply, although any flint needs to be imported or raided for. The
eastern forests seem alive in magic, as medicines and shamans seem more
powerful here when working with their spirts. So rattles, drums, cave art, all
have a deep spiritual meaning as the people go on a hunt or raid, and expect
the spirits to help them, protect them and guide them. Shamans have a strong
aura here and are technically the real rulers of their clans here.
Lastly are the southern plains dwellers, which are very
nomadic, following the migrating herds for many miles, across the wide grassy
plains. The plains dwellers are also the easiest going of all the groups, since
there are relatively few beasts and plentiful mammoth and bison to hunt from.
Their goods are hides and ivory, and due to the hills, small bits of flint and
copper is found, or traded amongst the ‘short ones’ who live secluded in small
caves by veins of the precious copper or a pocket of gemstones. Trade goods are
mostly seen amongst the
Weapons/Warfare
The Drem have no real concept of warfare, yet do know what
an alliance can do. The Drem are smart people, who often trade their extra
wares, like beadwork, simple pottery and flint for other things like Seafood,
fresh water clams from the lake, or medicines from deep within the Kornoth
forest. Raids are a tactic done to avenge a wrong, usually a stolen kill, or
when the families’ huts are broken into and things stolen. The raids are
careful not to kill anybody, just to bruise and make the wrong-doer feel a
sence of shame for what they have done. So care is taken not to kill, nor is
cause undue bloodshed, since shaming a bad enough form of punishment in Drem
society.
Weapons that are used are usually bows, arrows, axes mostly
with a flint edge, while the rich have an axe with a copper head, and so is
considered a very special item to own. Spears that are thrown are small, light,
and tipped with serrated edged tips, much like those on arrows, so as to pierce
and stay in. The usual Drem hunter would have his axe, throwing spear, bow and
about 6 or 7 arrows, more if he has extra flint to make more arrows. Also with
him is a stone that is used to straighten arrows, so that with a fire, the fire
can warm the wood to make it pliable, and the stone can gently straighten it
for better accuracy. Also is a small leather bag, usually with a few extra
arrow heads, in case some break, and need to be replaced.
Tactics of the Drem are simple. The Drem motto is ‘Never go
out alone!’, so Drem hunters are always found in small groups of 2, or 3
whereby, each is easily in voice range or a whistle if game or an ‘outsider’ is
spotted. Most of the time, the opponent is surrounded and taken on from
multiple sides, so to nullify any defenses. The Drem are careful hunters, never
taking undue risks, always looking for weaknesses and an apt time to strike...
One might thing that the Drem are slow and plodding in this way, but the Drem
are always looking for the opponent to ‘overplay their hand’, and then strike
when no successful defense can be achieved. That is why Ambush is a favorite
tactic for the Drem.
Traps, snares, pit-traps are all done by the Drem. Bushes,
pliable branches, leaves covering a hole in the ground on a well traveled path,
all of these are seen and used by Drem. In the hills and highlands in between
the coast and
Art/Music
Dremish art
is a sacred rock art. Stick like figurines, animals, hunting scenes, hand
prints and other images adorn local stones that some figure for Ley-lines,
Megatliths, stone circles or clan territory boundaries. In any case, these
stone rock art is a sacred thing with a lot of thought and emotion behind the
images seen. Most of the rock art is done with a few things, namely red ochre,
blood, mud, charcoal and chalk. Baskets made of marsh reeds and small bowls
made of clay are basically plain and unadorned with artwork. The rock art is a
serious spiritual thing deeply ingrained into the Dremish psyche where the shamans
thru tapping into the ‘spirit realm’ can use the rock art to aid the clan in
various ways. Usually the aid asked for is for good hunting or fertility.
Dremish
body painting is a common sight for warriors when on raids. The men usually dye
their bodies with woad to give themselves a blue coloring with all sorts of
mystical and spiritual meaning. The symbols, usually in a circular or spiral
pattern and is mostly on the upper arms and chests of the men. The legs and
thighs are usually in patterns of lightning bolts or stripes to add to the
fearsome look of the warrior. Women and children do not use dyes to paint
themselves, only the men.
Dremish
music is a fairly simple thing. First, much like the Ituri forest people of
Mining/Engineering
Dremish
mining is a common thing for the highland Drem, while rarer for most other
groups, to almost non-existant for the plains clans. Dremish metalwork is
definitely a status thing and shows off the wealth of the wearer. The metals
commonly mined by the early drem are quite familiar with a few items, and in
fact the highland drem have aquired a good reputation for mining due to the
plentiful mines found in the region. The main minerals found are copper which
are smelted and turned into small tiny beads or at most a prized axehead. Variscite
which is a greenish mineral close to tourquoise is easily made into tiny
polished beads, bracelets and necklaces. Variscite mines have been found up to
½ mile of tunnels and up to 5 levels, and strangely enough, the Drem only used
Variscite found in grey shale. Two other familiar minerals are Chert, and
especially prized is a grayish blue used for weapons. The last mineral used
commonly is ochre, especially red ochre used in all burials and other
significant ceremonies.
Dremish
technology is nothing suprising for Neolithic cultures. In the mechanical
engineering side, items such as the thrower, this is used to launch spears that
much farther. The lever is used in a large variety of ways including moving
heavy loads such as logs. The wedge is a common shape used especially for axe
blades and other cutting tools. The pulley is a common thing used in all sorts
of heavy lifting and moving. The boat is a small canoe made of animal hides,
sown together with sinew and used for fishing in the lakes or close into shore.
One important thing that is not seen in Dremish lands is the wheel.
On the
Chemical engineering side, the Drem are a good deal less adept, but do have
some important things. The first thing that the drem do work with is their
skill in mining, and especially the important skill of smelting in their use of
copper. Though pottery is still very basic, the advances of glazing haven’t
been seen yet but come soon after the semi-nomadic Drem do settle down into
permenant settlements. The last thing which is just started are textiles and
the work of dyes, especially a mineral or plant dye. The dyes that are used
nearly always are simple plant dyes, especially from the woad plant for an
indigo color, madder root for red, Weld for yellow, Mushrooms and Lichens for
purple. Colors from animals are unheard of with the Dremish peoples.
History
Proto-Drem had a long history. To summarize, it split into
four dialects: a hissing Northern dialect influenced by the reptilian Sslaass
which used is spoken by the northern Lake clans; a harsh Western-Coast dialect
influenced by the speech of Northern barbarian tribes which is of course our
standard Highlanders; an odd, eclectic Southern dialect, generally only used
amongst fisherman of the islands, as they are the coastal traders and
fisherman; and a soft and lilting, almost musical, Eastern-Forest dialect
influenced by Elvish.
The language has not really changed, yet with influences by reptilian and
elvish, things are happening, and so are seen in the dialects.
Today,
7000 years after the time of the Drem, the language has changed a great deal,
yet the nomads of the Great Southern Plains still do speak the language, and in
fact people assert that a few roots of the old language can still be heard in
the magical rites of shamans during ceremonies. In the history of the language,
taken from the Great Migrations of over 15,000 years ago when this last great
wave of travelers left the Old continent for this one, lots has happened to the
language in those 8000 years to get to this point where Proto-Drem was spoken.
Then in the last 7000 years, when Proto-Drem was turned into the language we
speak today, a great deal has happened again.