Kadeda

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Kadeda is a common term for non-dalar citizens of Sanmra, in particular those who are part of well-established human families more than two or three generations old. While not a legal division, virtually all human politicians, celebrities, and successful entrepreneurs are considered kadeda.

Etymology

The literal meaning of kadeda is "outsider" or "one who is beyond". The earliest recorded uses of it are in the literal sense, to refer to someone who is not part of a given group or activity. Use of the term has fluctuated over time, but at least by three hundred years ago, it was used to refer to foreign visitors, particularly those associated with shipping and trade, for example in the 1729 memoirs of Weran ni Paitan rıl Osa describing the port of Orsili:

Kadeda toridemir karimar ote tor'atal.
That evening, the tavern was bursting with foreigners.

Weran's memoirs used the term for foreign dalar as well as humans, but later attestations indicate it shortly came to refer to non-dalar only, and in fact almost exclusively humans. How it came specifically to refer to immigrants--humans who immigrated permanently to Sanmra--is less clear, though by the mid-1800s, this usage was common. In more recent decades, it has come to specifically refer to humans whose families are long-established in Sanmra, with ancestors immigrating many generations back, in contrast with ankuda "foreigner" used for temporary or recent permanent human immigrants.

Usage

The term is in common use throughout Sanmra. Despite the direct translation of the word, it is not typically considered derogatory; many humans view it as a matter of pride that they are kadeda and not newcomers. However, some find the word alienating and argue it reinforces societal division between dalar and humans by promoting the dalar as the only "true" Sanmrans, with all humans, no matter how long their history in Sanmra, as permanent second class citizens. Others argue that refusing to use the term for more recent human immigrants is itself exclusionary, promoting the idea that first- or second-generation immigrants are unworthy and pitting humans against humans to the benefit of the dalar majority. In either case, noncitizens should be circumspect with their usage.

While the term is occasionally used for non-human non-dalar (e.g. Astalvis, vodholk, Kavs), this usage is fairly rare.