Courtesy of
Royal Saraphian Language Preservation Society
Adress:
2001, Boulevard of Martyrdom
PO BOX 01230065870 Dhamar
Saraphian Emirate of Al-Dhamar and Shiraz
Telephone: 07 (1) 123 000 - 10
Fax: 07 (1) 123 000 - 20
email: [email protected]
General
Abd�abiid: Slave. Found in religious names like Abdesalam (Slave of Peace). Nonetheless the word, if spoken in anger, is an insult. (Jamal is mad at Bounejam. He spits out the word "Abid." Bounejam is mortally offended.
Abou: Father. See also Umm and Bou.
Alalla: A Taqah (ethnic minority) term for lady, roughly equivalent to Sheikh.
Ajam/Ajami: Noun and adjective meaning foreign, strange. One uses the term to distinguish Saraphians from foreigners.
Ait: A Taqah expression for village.
Quriya: The Saraphian equivalent for village.
Bedaouie: Nomad. Plural, bedaouine.
Bou: Father, a dialectal contraction of Abou. (or Abu)
Dar: A house.
Dhow: A (traditional) sailing ship.
Din: "Faith," or "Religion." In the Mounist religion, a common component of names, such as "Saifedine" � Saif ed-diin: "Sword of the Religion."
�Eid: A feast or festival.
Esori: An ethnic insult for any northerner, lit. meaning (censored).
Fellah / fellahin: Farmer / female farmer.
Girba: A waterskin; four are usually carried on each camel in a caravan.
Hammam: A public bath house, or a private bath found in wealthy homes.
Hashish: A concentrated form of hemp, used as a drug. (In Bandar it is known as Qif)
Hookah: A pipe for smoking, in which a long flexible tube draws the smoke through water in a bowl or vase and cools it, producing a smoother taste.
Howdah: A seat for riding on the back of a camel or an elephant.
Jariya: A (slave) concubine. Concubinage of free believing women (or more rarely men) is formally illegal, but a nasty tradition has sprung up, despite the disapproval of the progressive wing of the Mounist clergy.
Jebel/Jbel: Mountain (formal and dialectel forms).
Jebali: Mountaineer.
Khaadim / Khaadima: Servant or slave / female servant or slave
Mudiir: Director, chief.
Matrud: A thief kit for desert thieves and outcasts of the bedaouie, of the nomads.
Medrasa: School. Either university, college or secondary school.
Musoul: lit. "responsible," an officer in the corporate sense. For example, Musoul al-makhzen: roughly Treasurer..
Mawla: A "client" or subservient group or person.
Nahr: River.
Qasbah: A fortified town. Or more accurately a town/citadel.
Qat: A mild drug, which acts initially as a stimulant. Widely used and responsible for notoriously low production rates.
Kiif: (neologism) hashish.
Qursaan: Corsairs or pirates.
Qsar pl. Qsour: Castle, fortress or palace. Generally the later.
Raqeeqa: Roughly, "slavery."
Ribaat: A castle or citadel.
Sahra: Wilderness or Desert. (e.g. as in As-Sahra ul-komi, the greatest desert, which is an old name for the Komi Desert.)
Sahib: Owner. Also friend.
Sha'ir: Lit. poet; Also a practitioner of true magic, sihr. Spellcasters specializing in djinn-related magic. Sihr: True magic, as opposed to mere alchemy or amulet-carving. Sihr is commonly supposed to involve frequent trafficking with the djinn, and often does.
Sheikh (Sheikhs or sheiyukh): An old man, but in tribal society, a chief or leader. A Rais is generally a younger man in leadership position.
Souq: Market.
Si or Sidi: Local (Dhamar) abbreviation of Sayyid, meaning "Sir." Used to show respect, e.g. Si Rusen is like saying Sir Rusen. Normal address is by name only.
Tel: A hill.
Umm: Mother. Term of respect for women. (e.g. the famous Saraphian singer Umm al-Kalthoum)
Waasif: (pl wasfaan). Slave. A more formal term. When speaking the local (Dhamar) dialect, calling someone �abd or khaadim might be taken as an insult in Dhamar, especially if they are of a higher status like a mamlouk.
Wadi: A stream, or the empty bed of.
Clothing and ornamentation
Belghra: Moccasin like leather shoes. Most common kind of footwear after sandals.
Burnouse: A cloak like garment with a hood attached.
Caftan/Qaftan: A long gown with sleeves. Typical warm-weather wear.
Djellaba: A hooded, baggy robe for outdoor wear.
Haik: The combined headcloth and face mask worn in the desert.
Hanbal: A heavy wool cloak cum carpet.
Henna: A thorn-shrub and the reddish stain made from it. Applied to hair as a dye and used to create temporary tattoos for festivals, weddings, etc.
Kohl: Antimony powder used to darken the area around the eyes.
Tarboush: Felt cap in the shape of a flat-topped cone, more commonly called a Taizz after the city where the caps are made. Come in many colors.
Tiraz: A cloth armband decorated with writing (often religious); sometimes used as an amulet.
Qandarah/Gondorah: Similar to the Qaftan, the Qandarah is a almost sleeveless gown with varies between just over knee length to ankle length.
Rezza�: A long strip of cloth wound repeatedly around a small cap or the head.
Sabata: Leather boots.
Serwal: Loose, baggy pants worn underneath a Qaftan or similar clothes.
Selham: A kind of immense, hooded wool cloak, frequently patterned, worn against the nightly cold. Heavier than the burnouse, intended for desert nights.
Useful expressions
"Aleikum as-salaam": Proper response to the traditional greeting, "as-Salaam aleikum". It means roughly "And upon you the peace."
"al-Hamdulilum": Proper response to "Kaif al-Hal" ("How are you?"). "bi-khayr" ("well" or "fine") may be added before or after this phrase.
"Ulum Karima": An expression of gratitude at good fortune, meaning "God is all-beneficent."
"ashkuruk": "Thank you."
"Bisaha": "Wishing you health," another expression used in greetings and leave taking.
"Bismoun": "In the name of Moun"; used as a blessing or invocation to avert evil influences.
"Insha`moun": "If Moun is willing," used when announcing plans for the future.
"Kaif Halek": Saraphian equivalent of "How are you?" The proper response is "al-Hamdu lillah."
"La shukran �ala wajib": lit "There is no thanks for a duty." Equiv, of "You�re welcome"
"Min fedliq": "please." � can be used in exasperation just like in Ingallish.
"Salaam": "Peace," a common minor blessing, generally accompanied by a bow of respect (which is also called a salaam).
Shukran: alternate form of saying thanking, less formal.
"Smeh Li": roughly "Excuse me, I am smelling badly"
"as-Salaam aleikum": Traditional greeting, "Peace be upon you." The proper response is "Aleikum as-salaam."
"Tfuddul": "If you please," a generalized polite expression used when offering something to someone, when motioning someone to go ahead of you, or when inviting someone in.
"Yaulum": An expression of shock, dismay, or horror, roughly equivalent to "Oh, my God."
Religious
Baraka: Blessing, the condition of being blessed. Baraka combines charisma and perhaps luck with blessing to indicated an ability to pass on good fortune. Those with great Baraka are sometimes credited with an ability to heal others. Obviously a priest should have Baraka.
Dhimmi: "Protected". A person who enjoys royal protection, and therefore immune to civil / religious prosecution. Formally speaking in Saraphia, non-dhimmi can not avail themselves of legal protection. Those considered dhimmi are automatically extended most civil rights and protected by the royal family.
Faqih / faqiha: A learned person in religious matters, generally the ranking priest from one of the masjids. Faqihs of each of the various masjid and orders in the city help administer the religious laws of the city.
Hakima: lit. a wise woman. A Wise Woman has, with her divanatory powers, the ability to perceive truth and lies in the spoken word. Very rare.
Hazrat: Meaning "holy."
Imam: Chief priest of the masjid.
Jamaa:Great mosque or temple. For holy day prayers, meetings. Often hosts a school (College) and other institutions.
Kahin: A priest. A Kahin is a certain kind of priest who worships idols of unenlightened religion. Kahin is also used as a term of abuse by priests about others, implying they are false priests or heretics.
Kaafir: A harsh word for unbeliever.
Kufr: Unbelief
Mahdi(a): A messianic figure awaited by some sects.
Muallim / muallima: A learned person or teacher. Generally ranking below a faqiha. They are generally responsible for the masjid and its medrasa.
Mubarak: Adjective meaning "blessed." Occasionally used in names.
Muezzin: The individual who summons the faithful to prayer at the appointed times.
Mujahid(een): lit. "struggler" or "one who strives". A holy warrior in the Mounist religion tradition.
Masjid pl masaajid: Mosque or temple.
Mumin: pl. muminin, "Believer" used to refer to community of Believers as a whole.
Murid: A disciple or follower.
Murshid: A master or guide, used by leaders of Taqah.
Mutawahideen: Neologism. "The Oners." A sect of the Taqah which is popular among the western Aya Taizzi and Aya Taizzi nomads like the Sanhaja. It also is strong among the residents of the city, Aya Taizz, and is identified with the opposition to the Dhamari. They hold that Moun is All. They control the Aouina mosque in Eshemiya.
Nabi: A prophet.
er-Rejiim: The Evil One.
Tariqa: Order or Path. "Order(s)" (lit: path(s)) organized somewhat like chruistian monastic orders, except of course celibacy is not a rule - nor even encouraged. See also Zaouiya.
Zaouiya: A "monastary" of the Mounist religion. The Zaouiya are owned by various Tariqa or "Orders, see Tariqa entry.
Political and military
Emir/Emira: Lit. one who commands. Can mean "Prince", "General", "Commander" depending on the context. Emir(a) al-mumineen is a phrase which means "Commander of the Believers."
�Askar: Soldier. Most common warrior (historically), a native of a permanent residence, often serving in a militia.
Faris: Lit. a horseman, often a paladin. They are champions of good, fighters with just causes. Nowadays Saraphians are using it to mean any non-nomadic mounted (mechanized) warrior.
Hakim: >A wise man, a kind of neighborhood judge. An informal position often given to a priest or other learned person.
Mohtasib: Official responsible for the regular and consistent running of the markets, souqs etc. An important position with a city.
Malik: King. Sultan (lit Authority) is the equivalent of Emperor and Malik is used to refer to less powerful lords. Following that is Emir which can mean a number of things. See Emir and Sultan.
Mamlouk / Mamlouka: (historically) Military slave soldier, often of quite high social status despite being a slave under the law. Almost always enslaved prisoners of war from fairly distant lands. Nowadays, elite soldier like a marine or a commando.
Moulay: Roughly "Lord." The proper title to give to a powerful person. But not a merchant or Qadi.
Mujahid: lit. "struggler" or "one who strives". A holy warrior.
Qadi: Judge. A Qadi in the Dhamar Sheikhdom is something like a combined administrator and civil judge, whose ruling may be appealed to the Emir. A Qadi may also be a Faqih or have another profession in addition.
Qa�id: Administrator, an appointed official of the Sultan or Malik.
Rais: A military leader (non-naval): somewhat equivalent of captain. Also a civil rank, meaning simply leader. (e.g. Rais al-majlis would mean simply "Leader of the Council".
Sultan: lit. Authority. Sultan is equivalent to Emporer.
Wali: "Ruler" In Dhamar, a civilian title roughly equivalent to Rais. A civilian with commanding authority.
Wazir: Minister. (the Ingallish word Vizier comes from this Saraphian word)
That�s it! The End