Kujtoan

Kujtoan is a regional cultural and linguistic grouping in the central highlands of the fictional continent of Aldara. The Kujtoan homeland centers on the upper basins of the Kujto River, where communities share a core language cluster, customs, and historical memory.

The name derives from the Kujto River; the suffix -an marks demonyms in the Kujtoan language, indicating the people of a place.

Kujtoan languages form a subgroup within the Aldaran language family. The major dialects include Northern Kujtoan, Central Kujtoan, and Southern Kujtoan; mutual intelligibility varies. A modern orthography blends a traditional syllabary with a Latin script.

Recorded Kujtoan settlement dates back to the 12th century. The region developed autonomous villages linked by river trade. In the contemporary era, Kujtoan communities participate in a federal framework that grants regional councils and cultural autonomy.

Society emphasizes kinship, communal labor, and craftsmanship. Arts include wood carving, weaving, and brasswork; music features polyphonic singing. Religious life blends ancestral rites with nature worship, and major festivals celebrate planting and harvest seasons.

The economy centers on rice and tuber cultivation, agroforestry, and crafts. Tourism and small-scale manufacturing have grown with river transport and modest road networks.

Kujtoan architecture combines timber framing with fired-clay tiles; oral literature, epics, and folktales are central to identity.