Zadmáh (“our language”) is a small, a priori conlang of mine spoken by the fictitious mazadmáh (“speaking our language”) people.

Language

Zadmáh words are derived via an expressive system of tri-consonantal roots and patterns. For example, the root z·r·k has a base meaning of “pain” or “hurt”. From that we can derive words such as zírrkuz (“pain-relief herb”), ázrik (“she hurts, causes pain”), zórak (“she is in pain”) and zarkón (“problem, issue”).

Culture

Mazadmáh culture is defined by a great respect for and reliance on the natural world, shaped by a tight-knit but ultimately hierarchical society with a strict relationship to the concept of taboo.

🫂 akšóm ─ social classes

šiťáh is the name given to a group of ihakšóm (social classes) in mazadmáh society that are most prominently characterised by their inability to participate in mazadmáh governance or military. a person who has “entered šiťáh” (i.e who belongs to one of these classes) is referred to as an ašióť (collective ihašióť).

examples of šiťáh classes include ihdíuinis (practitioners of díuinin gender non-compliance) and ihgábil (practitioners of gabláh “ritual magic”)

⚧️ díuinin ─ gender non-compliance

díuinin is the mazadmáh practice of taboo gender non-compliance in which a person with a masculine body by birth takes on a feminine social role and appearance, often through assistance of duním, a regional herb drunk as a tea for its feminizing properties.

a person who performs díu̯inin by taking on that gender role is known as a díuinis (collective ihdíuinis) and can be described through the verb díuin “she feminizes herself, is a díuinis”.

all of these terms derive from the mazadmáh root d·u·n which originally described only breasts or the process of breastfeeding but had many derivatives generalizing the root to instead describe femininity or womanhood in mazadmáh society.

🍵 duním ─ feminising regional herb

duním is a bitter-tasting herb regional to the mazadmáh people which has feminising properties. owing to its heavy association with ihdíuinis as a social class, duním is considered inóɣu (heavily taboo).

the word duním derives from the root d·u·n, associated with breasts/breastfeeding or womanhood in general in mazadmáh society. the -ím derivation gives the word the overall meaning of “feminine substance” or “feminine essence”.

duním is typically drunk as a tea by steeping the duním leaf in hot water for some minutes, then picking the leaf out and flavouring with lemon or other fruit.

duním contains relatively low but not insignificant levels of estrogen in the form of two different estradiol esters, as well as varying amounts of progesterone depending on the exact strain and growth conditions of the herb.

aside from the elements associated with feminisation, duním also contains very small amounts of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, making it very slightly sympathomimetic.

🍃 inóɣu ─ social taboo

inóɣu is an adjective used in mazadmáh culture to describe a person or act deemed socially taboo.

the status of taboo is often associated with šiťáh social classes and may be part of the mechanism by which people born of non-šiťáh classes become šiťáh.