Nyaqen cardinal directions are mostly used by the Nayabaru, almost to the point where it can be considered their sole cultural idiosyncrasy, with kavkema preferring different nomenclature for navigating (typically based more on landmarks, heavily referring to river by sizes and mountains by slant and curvature).
Nonetheless, the concept of the five-spoke star of cardinal directions is shared between them, and the kavkema can use it to navigate.
Names
The Nayabaru call the five cardinal directions as follows:
- ge͡iregin (sunward – from ge͡iretshgiifeb, ‘track the sun’)
- shimtke͡ilin (equatorward – from shimtke͡ilegil, ‘toward equator’)
- sishtke͡ilin (poleward – from sishtke͡ilegil, ‘away from equator’)
- mdinabin (backleft – from manidimanabi, ‘behind left’)
- mnidibin (backright – from manidimanibi, ‘behind right’)
The kavkema usually don't bother making up their own names, but simplify the to pronunciation a little:
- ge͡iregin
- shim'ke͡ilin
- sish'ke͡ilin
- dinabin
- nidibin
Certain groups of kavkema that are Kendaneivash purists might try their hands are translations, but this is rare and inconsistent. Here are some possible translations that might be encountered:
- kiikeroem (sun-follower), sinkii (toward the sun), silkiikas̈ (where the sun sleeps),
- singerakiir (toward the equator), benajis gerakiir (in the direction of the equator)
- zithgerakiir (away from the equator)
- bentada/danash udas (behind/back left)
- bentada/danash selas (behind/back right)
Hemispheres
The five spokes are different depending on hemisphere, since 'left' and 'right' relative to sunward remains fixed while the direction of the equator relative to the sunward direction changes. Generally, the spokes mirror around the sunward axis once you switch hemisphere, with the exception of the left/right-derived ones:
