pygmies
Notably short peoples
Pygmies is the plural of pygmy, a word with two main applications.
Capitalized, it refers to members of certain ethnic groups in Central Africa and Southeast Asia characterized by notably short stature.
Lowercase, pygmy describes anything unusually small for its kind: pygmy goats, pygmy owls.
The word is also used disparagingly to suggest someone insignificant or lacking skill: a pygmy among giants.
When referring to peoples, the term is increasingly considered offensive; specific group names are preferred.
Subsistence through wild resources
- foragersThose seeking wild food
- Central AfricaMiddle of the continent
- Congo BasinMajor African river watershed
- rainforestWet tropical woodland ecosystem
indigenous · forest dwellers · nomadic · tribes · autochthonous · minority · ethnicity · community
Ceremonial repeated practices
- musicOrganized auditory art
- oral traditionsCulture transmitted through speech
- folkloreInherited cultural narratives
- ceremoniesFormal observances with ritual
mythology · taboos · customs · heritage · elders · storytelling · body painting · beliefs
Of limited extent
- diminutiveVery small, or nickname form
- petiteSmall and delicate
- smallLimited in size
- tinyExtremely small in size
compact · undersized · little · dwarfed · miniature · elfin · wee · height
Systematic study of peoples
- fieldworkResearch conducted on location
- subsistenceMinimal means of living
- egalitarianEquality principle supporter
- foragingSeeking wild food sources
reciprocity · ethnomusicology · linguistics · oral history · cultural preservation
Notably low height
- thermoregulationMaintaining stable internal heat
- humid climatePersistently moist atmospheric condition
- canopyOverhead protective covering
- tropical environmentHot, humid ecological zone
hunter-gatherers
Subsistence through wild resources
- foragersThose seeking wild food
- Central AfricaMiddle of the continent
- Congo BasinMajor African river watershed
rainforest · indigenous · forest dwellers · nomadic · tribes · autochthonous · minority · ethnicity · community · clan
rituals
Ceremonial repeated practices
- musicOrganized auditory art
- oral traditionsCulture transmitted through speech
- folkloreInherited cultural narratives
ceremonies · mythology · taboos · customs · heritage · elders · storytelling · body painting · beliefs · cosmology
short
Of limited extent
- diminutiveVery small, or nickname form
- petiteSmall and delicate
- smallLimited in size
tiny · compact · undersized · little · dwarfed · miniature · elfin · wee · height · genetics
ethnography
Systematic study of peoples
- fieldworkResearch conducted on location
- subsistenceMinimal means of living
- egalitarianEquality principle supporter
foraging · reciprocity · ethnomusicology · linguistics · oral history · cultural preservation
small stature
Notably low height
- thermoregulationMaintaining stable internal heat
- humid climatePersistently moist atmospheric condition
- canopyOverhead protective covering
- Central AfricaCongo, Belgian Congo, rainforest, tropical rainforest, Chad
- GabonGabon, provinces, departments, communes, prefectures
pygmiesgiants
Beings of immense stature
titans · colossuses · powerhouses · heavyweights · colossi