The Social Structure the Locality

The locality as a cluster of associated gentes is a concept which is only implicit in Arapesh terminology. There is no word for locality. There is, in fact, no word for any place larger than a wabul, residence place, and larger areas are referred to vaguely by suffixing igen, a suffix meaning “place,” to words like “river.” So the whole Plains area is referred to as waribisigen, river, or the place of people of the river. That the idea of a locality is incipiently present is shown in three ways: first, although there is no general term, certain place names refer to whole localities, although very often this is merely extended reference and the name is also that of the chief hamlet of the locality; second, there are collective words, sometimes, but not usually, derivatives of the locality name, referring to all of its inhabitants; third, there are names of marsalais which are called out at feasts as a kind of shouted emblem of the locality. Locality boundaries are recognized, usually in the form of streams, cliffs, or other natural barriers. Fishing rights are conceived as belonging to all the members of a locality. (These contrast with hunting rights which are phrased as gens owned.) Theoretically, sorcery rather than a fight should settle quarrels within the locality. This is, however, more of a theory than practice. If sorcery has been used to avenge sorcery, an informant will explain that it is because it is within the locality, but actually informal, irregular fights do occur within a locality.