zegara

Zegara is a fictional term used in speculative fiction and worldbuilding. It does not refer to a real-world system or place. In common usage, zegara denotes a universal timekeeping framework or central calendar adopted within an imagined world to synchronize astronomical observations, civic administration, and cultural events. In-world etymologies are typically invented, often described as deriving from an ancient language or a blend of roots meaning time and measure.

Usage and variants vary by author. Some depictions present zegara as a fixed, planet-wide cycle—such as a specific number of hours in a day, days in a year, or a modular cycle that aligns with planetary or stellar phenomena. Other versions treat zegara as a ceremonial or political concept rather than a strictly physical unit, with public clocks, records, and lawmaking activities tied to zegara cycles. The concept often serves as a narrative device to explore themes of time, memory, governance, and social coordination.

In practice, zegara can underpin calendars, leap rules, epoch systems, and timelines that enable cross-cultural coordination within the imagined setting. It is also a popular topic in worldbuilding discussions, where creators test for internal consistency and compatibility with invented technologies, languages, and social structures. Because zegara is fictional, writers have significant flexibility to adapt its rules to fit plot needs while maintaining plausible internal logic.