Chapter Text
This chapter is a glossary and worldbuilding primer, because the author took the semantics of bringing ABO to life in 2000s-era Pakistan very seriously, for some reason. You may skip this and go directly to the next chapter for the story, but I recommend giving the words a glance so that you don’t get lost, as I won’t be using Alpha / Beta / Omega terminology in this work. I do not believe it would make sense for the whole world population to have adopted Ancient Greek lettering, though I would guess Western hegemony would lead to its spread. Chinese fandom has successfully translated their own terms with qianyuan (alpha) / zhongyong (beta) / kunze (omega).
As the existence of ABO would fundamentally change humankind’s relationship towards both sex and gender, this cannot be completely in accordance with the cultural state we live in presently. With that taken into account, I have made a few choices:
- AMAB Omegas and AFAB Alphas have both a working penis and vaginal opening below it, though the gonads remain internal. There is quite a lot to draw from the teachings about Khuntha/Khanith/Mukhannath people, but these terms belong to their own religious and cultural context and therefore cannot translate to the parallel universe of ABO, though I did rely on them to write this. I specifically applied rulings related to marriage though, yet again, with ABO thrown in the mix, everything’s a little wonky.
- Any presentation can reproduce with another. That means Omega/Omega, and Alpha/Alpha babies if one part of the couple has the necessary sex characteristics to carry a fetus to term. Betas are also susceptible to having their own offspring, though their fertility rates are much lower. A/O just happens to have the statistical advantage when it comes to bearing children, which makes them a desirable pairing from a natalist perspective. I would also guess that culture and history would tend to push for A/O pairings and/or romanticize them heavily as the ideal.
- Statistics on A/B/O populations depend on living circumstances (which reflects a real-life phenomenon, as more human boys tend to be born during and right after wartime). If living conditions are unsafe or particularly stressful, there are fewer Omega births and a higher rate of Alpha births. Places and wealthy families with a high Omega-birthrate tend to pride themselves on that (the drawback being that they are more likely to be seen as a commodity and/or a status symbol). Beta births are somewhat steady but may drop alongside Omega births during wartime.
- The ABO concept of packs goes very well with the doomed-found-family vibes of the movie, and I’m therefore playing around with it in this. I am not, however, making Alphas the de facto leaders of packs, because if we want to base human biology and behaviour off of pack animals so bad, then the concept of the male genitor being the leader doesn't automatically make sense, as breeding pairs (wolves, jackals) and offspring-bearing females (hyenas, orcas, elephants) are oftentimes pack leaders as well in the wild. Therefore, A/B/O can be pack leaders as long as their pack members find them worthy. Packs can be blood-related but also made up of non-related people with a common goal. An A/O bonded pair led pack is thought to be the ideal, though reality is more varied and complex. Omegas are not necessarily perceived as weaker pack leaders, though they might be challenged in their role more often.
Now, when it comes to linguistics, words were sourced mostly from Middle or Classical Persian, as Persian played a key role in the development of modern Urdu. This choice was made because the idea that Alpha/Beta/Omega terminology takes root in Ancient Greek culture in the West tickles my fancy, and because such words would probably be carried down throughout history rather than being recent.
I then went on to look for symbolically meaningful words that would also sound pleasing to the ear. As Persian Zoroastrianism (Tishtrya) and Islam (Quran, 24:45, 41:39, 10:24, 13:17, 11:7) both have references to water and rain as being life-givers and fertility-linked, I decided that I would go in this direction. I also believe the symbolic nature of referring to the water cycle fertilizing the earth fits Urdu’s natural inclination for poetry. I did not look for Arabic terms or religious-linked ones, as ABO is a parallel universe and I do not wish to offend anyone. I do believe that Arabic terms would probably be used in a religious and lawful context.
Therefore:
- Daryâb: sea/ocean in Persian, river in Urdu. An Omega.
- Bārān: rain, you may recognize the root for the Hindi/Urdu Baarish. An Alpha. In Balochi, a ragám.
- Sāhil: a coast/shore/terrain that is near a body of water. The word is actually from Arabic but was incorporated in Persian and is also known in Urdu. A Beta.
- Žarfâ: the depths (of water). People who do not identify with any secondary gender, have pheromonal issues that make their scent or genitalia ambiguous, etc. Not meant as derogatory, but merely as what cannot be seen/perceived or known for it shall remain a mystery.
- Āb-e-hayāt: water of life. The liquid produced by an Omega’s body when aroused, which is a sign of fertility.
Words that will not necessarily feature in the text so as to not burden the reader, but that I have sought to find equivalents for:
- Qanāh: a channel/the hollow bed of running water. This word is sourced from Arabic, as Persian would be qanât. An AMAB/AFAB omega’s vaginal opening.
- Khandan: family / a pack. This is the most modern word, as I believe the concept of what is and isn’t a pack would probably evolve over time, as does our concept of family in this world.
Some ideas as to how a teenager presenting would be celebrated:
- For Bārān/Alphas: water being poured on them playfully (the whole neighbourhood may partake for a week), drinking games without alcohol, traditional meals with waterfowl (who dwell in the air but have a relationship with water). Traditional gifts would be kites, birds such as racing pigeons, and drinks with ingredients that are thought to help with strength and fertility. A cheeky gift would be considered fishing equipment.
- For Daryâb/Omegas: being playfully carried to a river and dunked in it by the daryâbi of the neighbourhood, perfumed baths, traditional meals with lotus, such as lotus fruit or lotus root (as the flower would be associated with daryâbi and linked to their beauty) as well as fish based meals. Henna with lotus motifs on the hands. Traditional gifts would be lotus flowers, jewelry (coral, pearls, and shiny seashells being popular materials), ornamental glasses and vases.
- For Sāhil/Betas: being playfully hit with reeds or willow branches, thrown dust at (the whole neighbourhood may partake for a week), rice sorting games in which several participants sit around a big mound of rice and have to dig until they find the pearl hidden within, traditional meals with rice, halal seafood or meat, traditional earthenware gifts (especially terracotta) or decorative flowers, plants as the betas are associated with land growth and cultivation.
Relevant words will be featured in the notes at the beginning of each chapter to help the reader.