Uamind
The Uamind are an ethnic group of Bdali, generally the ancestors of migrants from the O gon Ti Vl Ai'Ai Isles or Wente from the north. These migrations happened long before the Deepening. If there were any barriers between migrant groups before the Deepening, they have been wiped out. Religious and cultural divides still exist, but the Uamind consider themselves one people, generally under the United Haladn.
The Sbikt word "uamind" is usually paired with a place name to denote people or a person from that place; however, when the people of the United Haladn use it without a place name, they are referring to themselves; the "Haladn" is implied.
Naming Traditions
Unisex names
Word-names are very common and are generally androgynous/unisex. They tend to be far more common than gendered names. Depending on the Halad, Uamind will name their children after weather patterns, landforms, and other nature-based words. Tonal, article, and defining-adjective prefixes can all be part of a noun in Skribt, so these are sometimes used to make more complex names.
One of the most common names among the Uamind currently is Vearinjakalu, meaning literally "the (good) white sky," referring to the brightening sky at dawn.
Family names
Due to the high popularity of adoption and apprenticeship, these are called secondary names, not family names. These names are rumored to be thousands of years old. Their meanings have been lost with knowledge of Ancient Skribt, though some are vaguely similar to Modern Skribt words for certain natural phenomena.
Other names
Shortened names are usually made by removing any prefixes. If the name is still long without prefixes, names are usually shortened from the front: the last syllable or two of the name is the resulting shortened name, not the first syllable(s).
Pet names are usually formed by adding "-aq" or "-asq," which is generally done to adjectives to make them negatively comparative, as in "less" or "least."
The shortened forms of Vearinjakalu would be Arinjakalu, Injakalu, or just Kalu, which are no longer grammatically correct words, just names. The pet form would be Kaluaq.
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
Makeup is very popular among the Uamind for men and women (generally not for children or people of neutral gender). It is never expected, but its casual use is accepted for everyday purposes such as hiding facial blemishes, and the Uamind famously make extravagant use of makeup during special ceremonies or events.
In general, practical gray, white, or brown clothes are most common among the working classes. Those dedicated to religious or academic studies tend to dress more plainly and conservatively (with little to no makeup) in dark, cool colors. They generally wear veiled hats, the origins of which are lost; most say it is for modesty, but many agree they were designed to keep a scholar's head cool.
Gender Ideals
The Uamind formally recognize 3 genders: male, female, and neutral (which the Jubarians are baffled about). Their language does not reflect this grammatically like other cultures: only one 3rd-person pronoun is used regardless of gender. There is also the inanimate pronoun, "it/that," which if used against a person is seen as extremely rude and dehumanizing, not to mention taboo.
Each person is also considered to have a gender "status": static, limited, dynamic, and adapted. "Static" means a person stays with the gender they were born with. "Limited" basically means they're nonbinary; considered male or female but has limited connection with that identity, accepts neutrality. "Dynamic" refers to someone who is genderfluid. "Adapted" refers to someone who is transgender.
Generally, due to the fact that change for the better is considered holy, people of dynamic or adapted gender have historically been seen as blessed; they are uncommon but accepted in Uamind society. People of limited and/or neutral gender have historically been confused with people abstaining from sex and gender identity in order to focus on their studies, be they religious or academic; they are sometimes stigmatized as obsessed with their studies because of this (when in reality they may not have any formal education) and, in some areas, stereotyped as devious or criminal.
Appearance varies less by gender and more by gender status (or occupation). Static men and women of any age tend to wear similar clothing and have long hair. Neutral and often people of limited gender are expected to wear conservative, dull, practical clothing. People of dynamic gender are expected to wear expressive clothing that indicates their gender, most often with bright colors for female, striking neutral colors for male, and mixtures of both with jewelry or adornments for neutral. People of adapted gender tend to have shorter hair, tattoos on their bodies and the palms of their hands, and sometimes wear expressive clothing similar to people of dynamic gender.
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