Wede:i-Mei
From Almeopedia
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| MEI > |
| < FEI |
Wede:i-Mei [wɛ 'dɛ: i 'mɛ: i] is a superfamily of language in eastern Ereláe. It once extended across the entire southeast of Ereláe, from Xengiman to Skouras.
All the Wede:i-Mei languages are agglutinating, and characterized by fluidity between parts of speech. All seem originally to have counted in base 6 and to follow modifier-modified order, but some descendants have changed both.
In Xengiman, the Wede:i developed agriculture, created the first human kingdoms, and invented writing. The Xengi valley was invaded and conquered by a branch of the Central peoples, the Ezičimi, starting in -325. The Wede:i regrouped in Jeor, forming their own great empire there; this was conquered by the Ezičimi empire of Axunai, proclaimed in 890. The Wede:i persisted in the marginal areas of Xengiman, Jeor and Pronel, as well as in the Mnau peninsula. Jeori disappeared in recent centuries as a spoken language, but remains a literary language; the family's sole living languages are descended from those of Pronel.
The Mei/Fei colonized Skouras and the littoral, and pioneered the agriculture required to thrive in this colder, drier area; but were pushed out of the Šinour valley and eventually the littoral by the Lenani-Littoral people, beginning around -150. The result was a division into the Mei to the west of Skouras and the Fei to the east. Both peoples have survived to the present day, and are independent as well, forming the nations of Sevisor and Feidal respectively. (Some Mei also form part of the confederachy of Belšai.)
Etymology: Wede:i means 'the great people', and de:i 'people' is cognate to both Mei and Fei.
Classification
- Wede:i
- Mei
