Ćwarmin: To Have

Predicative possession is an important expression in languages. Naturally, Ćwarmin has expressions for it as well. As it turns out, there are two different expressions, mainly depending on the definiteness of the object, but other factors also may force the 'definite' form to be used.

For indefinite possessums, you simply juxtapose the owner in the nominative with a noun in the accusative complement case. Use of a copula is optional, and governed by the same rules as the copula in general.

For a definite possessum, the possessum is in the definite accusative, and there is a dummy pronoun in the accusative complement case. The dummy pronoun is either nitce (for singulars) or (g)initce (for plurals). Copula use is optional, but might be slightly more frequent than with indefinites.

More detailed quantification (indefinite quantifiers, numbers, etc) require the definite construction even if the possessum is not definite.

Negated possession always takes nitce, but puts the object in the negative object form.

Minor Dairwueh and Bryatesle Religious Communities

The Dairwueh-Bryatesle religious landscape is clearly dominated by ten religious communities which together form a sort of "religious federation". The interactions between these ten communities is fairly well formalized and managed by this federal model of religion. However, there are some smaller communities that fall between the cracks, as it were. They are tolerated, but with some restrictions.

The communities - their beliefs, praxis and social standing

There are about four dozen small communities, spread across the entire Dairwueh-Bryatesle world, which could be considered "second class" religions. There is also a third class of religions - heresies, more recent arrivals, and old traditional religions that did not comply with the power of the religious federation while the window for such an agreement was open.

Generally, all of D-B religion derives in some form from proto-DBS religion. However, different regions have had different amounts of influence from pre-DB inhabitants, Cwarmin, Tatediem and other cultures. The federated religion emerged with monotheism gaining traction in the area, and unified many rather different types of monotheism.

Many of the small religions are increasingly monotheist, but many have very obvious traits of their polytheist roots. The federated religion reinterprets these religions as being servants of the angels, rather than servants of God, and it seems this is a description they would be willing to apply to themselves. Non-compliant groups tend to be more explicitly polytheist, although exceptions can be found.

 The main objective of the restrictions would seem to be limiting the likelihood that these communities ever become a threat to the stability of the religious federation. There are several perceived threat vectors:

• Heresy or heteropraxy
• Failure to observe ethical norms, including sexual norms
  
• Loss of members (and thus popular support and revenue)
• Loss of divine favour
• Lack of loyalty to the secular imperial administration

    Some common restrictions

        Community size

It is common for the size of the community to be determined by law. 4 900 is a common number - fifty hundreds less one. A few communities are restricted to only 1000 members.

For several of the minor religious communities, life in a proscribed geographical area is a prerequisite. This prerequisite sometimes originates with the community itself, which may consider a certain region to be the mandatory, sole place for its worship practice. Other times, it's the majority culture that restricts the members to stay within the area. Occasional forays elsewhere - business trips, etc - are permitted, but permanent residence elsewhere is often banned.

Clergymen of the minor religions are forbidden from negotiating with each other if not supervised by representatives of two major religions. These major religions may have the right of 'quasiveto' (where the other representative may block the veto).

Conversion

Although conversion to or from these religions is not entirely forbidden, there are some usual types of restrictions:

• One or the other gender may be forbidden from converting to some religion - and oftentimes, this is selected by the authorities to be the only gender the religion actually considers proper members. Thus, for the Ramils, the empire only permits males to convert, but the Ramils only accept female converts.
  
•  Converts from the small communities may have to become slaves upon joining some other religion.
• Converts may be forbidden from having their offspring join the religion, or may be forced to promise a certain number of offspring for generations to be held by the religion.
• Converts from the major religions may have to become slaves of a non-member of the minority religion if converting to certain minor religions.
  

Codification

Unlike the major religions, codifications of the teachings is forbidden. A technicality is that the ban does not cover non-members who want to document them, and so a rather unique twist on religious scripture results from this: the three holy books of the Labim-community are written by outsiders, as is the single holy book of the Tonoks.