Ussterian
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| c. 15.5 million (2010) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Northern States c. 12 million | |
| Languages | |
| Northian Elder Nordic Venetian Gothic | |
| Religion | |
| Fonδaiš Wīštā̊ Valstígr Vallyar |
The Ussterians are an ethnic group primarily associated with the Northern States.
Etymology
The word Ussterian is an abbreviated rendering of the Northian word θaɣamuššteriiā̊, meaning "those who belong to Θaɣamusstera", Θaɣamusstera being the Northian name for the general locale of the Northern States. θaɣam means "land", and uššter- means "highest, most remote". The first attestation of the phrase θaɣam uššterā was of Epic age, referring to a far-away land where the Sun was said never to set in summer and never to rise in winter; as the Exile occurred, the Northians who went to θaɣam uššterā started to refer to themselves as θaɣamuššteriiā̊ or simply uššteriiā̊.
Earlier in the history of the ethnonym, it was "used to connect themselves to speakers of the Northian language scattered across western Eracura and Ossoria", "to a more numerous whole that shares a similar expulsion but live in different exiles". However, as the Ussterans were the only Northian group later to attain statehood, the term "Ussteran" has come to mean the Northian-speakers in general, even to identify those who came to live in Acrea, Ossoria, Shalum, and Æþurheim and speak non-Northian languages.
History
Language
The Ussterians are most associated with the Northian language. Indeed, the custom of speaking this language was, during the Epic age (c. 650 – 250 BCE), considered to constitute the Northian nationality. The term hāmrūvā̊s hāmrūvuṇδō < *sm̥-mluH-wénts "one who can give words, can speak together" was commonly used in the Epics by Northian characters to describe others who use the Northian language by custom. This contrasts with groups called āmrūtō < *n̥-mruH-tos "without words".