Sajaks

Note: Sajaks are a fictional ethnic group created for comparative ethnography and speculative fiction. The following article outlines a commonly presented construction of Sajaks in these contexts.

Etymology and identity: The endonym is Sajak or Sajaks, meaning "river people" in the imagined language Sajakian. The exonym used by neighboring groups is the Lightfalls.

Origins and homeland: In the fiction, Sajaks originate in upland valleys and later settle along a great river, forming a network of villages connected by ferries and canals.

Language: Sajakian is described as an agglutinative language with SOV order, vowel harmony, extensive case markings and classifiers.

Society and culture: The Sajaks organize into patrilineal clans, with village councils and elders. They practice river rites, seasonal harvest ceremonies, and craft weaving and boat-building.

Economy and technology: They rely on mixed agriculture, fishing, and craft production; trade with neighboring fictional groups; use of simple irrigation and canal networks; boats are central to life.

In fiction and scholarship: Sajaks are used as a case study for discussing ethnicity, representation, and ethnographic method; caution is advised to distinguish fiction from real groups.