neídí

Neídí is a fictional socio-cultural concept used in world-building and speculative ethnography. It describes a form of reciprocal labor and resource sharing within small agrarian communities, functioning as a social insurance mechanism that helps members weather hardship, such as crop failure, illness, or other shocks.

The term neídí is presented as originating from a constructed language of the fictional region where the practice is observed. In this context, the word conveys the idea of collective obligation and mutual support, with the suffix -í signaling a formalized practice or system.

Practices associated with neídí typically unfold in cyclical cycles tied to the seasons. Households contribute labor days or material goods into a communal pool during designated periods. In return, members who face need receive assistance—labor, harvest shares, or other support—without direct payment. Leadership tends to rotate among participating families, and decisions are made through consensus in regular communal assemblies. Ritual elements, such as shared meals or storytelling, often accompany the cycles to reinforce social bonds and collective memory. Some variants emphasize labor exchange and communal projects, while others prioritize risk pooling or childcare.

Cultural significance lies in its aim to strengthen social cohesion, distribute risk, and facilitate intergenerational knowledge transfer. Critics within the fictional frame point to potential pressures to participate, unequal contribution, or logistical complexity in larger groups. In scholarship and fiction, neídí is used as a model for decentralized mutual aid and non-market exchange.

See also: mutual aid, reciprocal exchange, kin-based economies.