My knowledge on this is based in anthropology rather than history, but I hope it helps answer your question.

The terms tribe and state refer to both food production and political structure.

Generally, tribes are the first result when a band of foragers settles down and transitions to horticultural food production. Tribes are small and egalitarian in structure. Leadership is concentrated in a few individuals who don't have political authority but rather persuasive power, and through whom resources are distributed equally among its members. Their position is earned, not inherited, and they typically work harder than others in the tribe.

States are much larger and are agricultural rather than horticultural. They're self-contained in their government, which is multi-faceted and has different branches responsible for different things. Political leaders have coercive power.

I'm not familiar with the setting you're asking about, but I would interpret that as meaning the Prussians are still operating as small groups of associated bands that produce their own food which is distributed among its members, while the neighbors have are a larger network with a complex government and large-scale crop cultivation.