Mey

Mey (also recorded as Mei, Maey, or Meay) is a village in Gagil municipality on Gagil-Tamil in Yap State of the Federated States of Micronesia.

Mey is located at approximately 9.55815639 latitude and 138.1853109 longitude and is associated with the polling area of Amun.

A burial ground is located approximately 0.39 km from the village.

Population

In 1966, Mey was recorded with a population of 12 people (3 males and 9 females) occupying approximately 31.43 acres of land, corresponding to about 2.62 acres per person.

Caste and class

Mey is classified within the Yapese system of ranked villages associated with Tabinaw as Caste III, Class 8 (III–8–C).

This places Mey among the lower-ranking villages within the Gagil area. Villages at this level occupied a relatively subordinate position within systems of landholding and inter-village relationships tied to higher-ranking settlements.

Ethnographic studies identify Mey as a milingai village associated with specialized labor and production activities carried out in service relationships connected to higher-ranking communities.

Production and labor

Ethnographic accounts document turmeric production at Mey, including the preparation of curcuma root by grating it on lamellate coral stones, mixing the material with water, straining the liquid into containers, and solidifying the extract through heating.

These activities were associated with specialized forms of production labor documented within lower-ranking village communities.

Context within Gagil

Mey was one of several smaller lower-ranking villages in the Gagil area during the mid-20th century, alongside villages such as Makiy, Binaw, and Darcha. These villages existed within a broader regional hierarchy that included larger and higher-ranking centers such as Gachpar and Wanyan.