Gheeths

Definition

“Gheeths” is a label used extramuros for a local kin/ethnic community; a single member is called a “Gheeth.” The term is used by speakers in and around the port city of Old Mahsht, including by onlookers and by characters who group themselves with “our kinsman.” One traveler (Brajj) earlier uses the label in reference to Laro and Dag, and the narrator later describes several men in Old Mahsht as belonging to the same ethnic group as those two.

Context and Usage

• Setting and cohesion: In crowded scenes in Old Mahsht, Gheeths appear as an organized, tight‑knit presence. They communicate via jeejahs, arrive together, and defer to self‑appointed leaders (e.g., a stout Gheeth directing others, and another with a long‑barreled firearm positioned as a lookout).
• Crowd action: After Laro arrives on a pedal cab and points out an avout he blames for the fate of “our kinsman Dag,” a group of Gheeths rallies a hostile crowd. They shout slurs (calling the target a “vout,” a derogatory term for an avout), present the avout’s kit as “evidence,” and urge immediate street justice rather than waiting for constables. Stones and bottles are thrown, a canal‑side chase follows, and one Gheeth leader holds the avout at gunpoint before a Valer—Fraa Gratho—interposes himself and disarms the attacker; the crowd is then outmaneuvered and disperses.
• Kin language: Multiple speakers use kinship terms (“our kinsman”) when referring to Dag, indicating that “Gheeths” likely denotes a familial or clan‑like community rather than a purely occupational or civic label.

Related Terms

• Old Mahsht — district where the crowd action is shown.
• Laro — publicly identifies the avout and invokes Dag as “our kinsman.”
• Dag — named as the kinsman whose fate motivates the Gheeths’ anger.
• Avout — target of the confrontation; outsiders shout the derogatory “vout.”
• jeejah — handheld devices many Gheeths carry while coordinating.

Notes

• The text does not provide the community’s self‑chosen endonym, internal structure, or origins; “Gheeths” is the label used by characters in-scene. Details such as religion, language, and broader distribution are not stated. Observations above reflect actions and speech reported during the Old Mahsht disturbance.