ébe

Ébe is a cultural and linguistic term used in the fictional region of Meridia to denote a system of communal responsibility and reciprocal obligation. In Meridian communities, ébe describes how members share resources, make collective decisions, and resolve disputes through consensus rather than confrontation.

The word is attributed to the Meridion language family; its components are é-, a prefix indicating intensification or collective scope, and -bé, a stem meaning "to bear" or "to share." The term appears in several dialects with slight semantic shifts.

Ébe is central to social organization; households owe duties to the kin group, which in turn maintains welfare networks; during harvest seasons, households contribute labor and produce; ceremonies reinforce memory of obligations.

Elders and respected guild leaders compose the Ébé Council, which interprets obligations and mediates disputes. Decision-making favors consensus; when needed, a rotating mediator from the youth council presides.

In ethnographic literature, ébe is discussed as an example of customary law and social capital. Some writers view it as a flexible framework adaptable to changing economies, while others critique its potential for social pressure or exclusion.

See also: communalism, customary law, social capital.