Posted by R. John Howe on March 30, 1999 at 19:40:38:
In Reply to: Re: Aesthetic Investment posted by Yon Bard on March 30, 1999 at 12:41:38:
Dear folks -
William Irons, who lived with some apparent Yomud communities in the 1970s, says that they have words that describe this distinction. A "charwa" is a person who makes his living primarily through livestock, while a "chomur" is mostly an agriculturist. Some writers also make suggestions like Yon's reference to Tanavoli here, indicating that "charwas" are higher up the social class ladder than are "chomurs." There are apparently instances of social mobility in which people move from one of these designations to another. There seems some notion of pride associated with being a "charwa," and some sense of failure associated with losing enough animals that one is forced into the "chomur" status.
Regards,
R. John Howe