Re: translation -- the duke was smitten

Nik Taylor wrote:

> J Matthew Pearson wrote:
> > Unfortunately, _talo_ "chieftain" is gender-neutral, so the homoerotic feel of
> > the original is somewhat diminished...
>
> Does that mean that women can be chieftains among the Tokana?
I haven't exactly settled on the qualifications to be a "talo", conculturally
speaking.  Prestige and power in Tokana culture are based on a combination of age,
lineage, and material wealth (the latter two generally go together).  Tokana society
is primarily matrilineal and matrilocal, and as in some other matrilineal/matrilocal
societies, women nominally own most of the property.  Whether they also control that
property--and hence the power that goes with it--or whether the men control the
property, I haven't yet decided.

Matt.

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