Leidhu

Leidhu is the name used for both a small ethnolinguistic community and their language in the Leidhu Highlands, a highland region on the island chain that forms part of the fictional Veridian Republic. The Leidhu people are culturally distinct from neighboring groups, and linguists generally classify Leidhu as a language isolate with no proven relatives.

Geographically, the Leidhu Highlands are characterized by terraced plateaus, evergreen forests, and frequent mists. The main settlements are the villages of Sirek, Maato, and Kelin, which are connected by winding trails rather than roads. Agriculture and pastoralism remain the core livelihoods.

Historically, Leidhu is attested in oral tradition to have formed as a highland micro-society that maintained independence from coastal polities. Contact with Veridian trading routes intensified during the early modern period, and the area was incorporated into the Veridian state in the mid-20th century.

Linguistically, Leidhu is spoken by roughly 2,800 to 3,200 people. It features a subject–object–verb (SOV) word order, postpositional marking, and predominantly suffixal morphology. The consonant inventory includes voiceless and glottal sounds, with a five-vowel system. The language uses reduplication and aspect marking to convey tense and aspect.

Leidhu is considered endangered, with language shift toward Veridian becoming evident among younger generations. Community-driven education programs, documentation projects, and a digital archive at Veridian University aim to support language maintenance and revitalization.

Culturally, the Leidhu sustain a rich tradition of weaving, woodcarving, and ritual singing. Social life centers on kin groups led by elders, with seasonal ceremonies tied to harvest and rainfall. Oral storytelling remains a key channel for transmitting history and values across generations.