In Barbary

Adar-ya-yan! Command used to bring a camel to its knees.

Afrit Spirit, ghost.

Agal The cord, commonly of wool but sometimes of gold, for binding the head-cloth in place.

Ahl Kitab The People of the Book; that is, Christians or Jews.

Allah God.

Allahu Akbar! God is great!

Andak! Stop! Halt!

Anderun That portion of a house or tent occupied by the women.

’Arasi Pleasure-gardens.

Aselamu aleikum Greeting to you!

Asha The evening prayer.

Asr The afternoon prayer.

’Atara Sweet-smelling.

Bab Gate.

Barek balek! Look out! Make way!

Bairaq A tribal flag or banner, an ensign of rank.

Barracan Woman’s outer garment.

Barrak To form animals into line or square.

Bassourab The striped, hooped camel-tent, shaped somewhat like a balloon, in which women travel.

Basha The Arab’s pronunciation of “Pasha,” as there is no p in the Arabic alphabet.

Bey The hereditary title of the rulers of Tunisia; the governor of a Turkish province.

Berkouks Pellets of sweetened rice.

Bilhana! Wishing you joy!

Bilshifa! Wishing you health!

Bismillah! In the name of Allah!

Bled Plain.

Bokra To-morrow.

Borj Tower.

Burghal A dish of mince-meat and porridge.

Burkha An outer garment, with slits for the eyes, which envelops a woman from head to foot.

Burnous A cloak-like garment with a hood attached.

Cadi, or Kadi A judge; a magistrate who tries cases involving the Koranic law.

Caïd or Kaïd A prince, a governor, a tribal ruler.

Caftan A long gown with sleeves, usually of silk.

Chéchia Tunisian fez.

Cherchem Beans.

Cous-cous A lamb stuffed with almonds and raisins and roasted whole.

Dahir Decree.

Dar Palace.

Dhuhr The midday prayer.

Diffa A meal, banquet, feast.

Djamaa Mosque.

Djebel A mountain, or range of mountains.

Djemel A baggage camel.

Djerid Palm-frond; also applied to a region in southern Tunisia.

Djinn An evil spirit.

Douar A large encampment.

Eblis The Moslem infernal regions; hell.

Ekhwan The elders of a tribe.

El The.

Emir A prince, an independent chieftain, a title given to certain descendants of Mohammed.

Emshi! Go away! Clear out!

Emshi besselema! A farewell salutation, equivalent to “Good night.”

Erg Sand-dune.

Faddhl To converse, gossip.

Fakous Cucumber.

Fantasia An exhibition of horsemanship and “powder play,” similar to the Spanish rodeo.

Fatha The opening verse of the Koran.

Fatta A dish of eggs and carrots.

Fedjr The morning prayer.

Feisha An amulet or charm.

Fesquia Reservoir.

Fil-fil The soft boots worn in the desert.

Fondouk or Fondak A cheap inn, a lodging-place for caravan-men.

Foum Mouth.

Franzawi French, a Frenchman.

Gandoura A long garment, usually of cotton, resembling a night-gown.

Ghar A subterranean dwelling in the Matmata country.

Giaour An infidel, an unbeliever.

Gibli A sand-laden desert wind.

Girba A water-skin, four usually being carried on each camel of a caravan.

Goumier or Goum A native policeman, a light horseman; in Barbary the goumiers form a force of mounted constabulary.

Hadj A pilgrimage, as to Mecca.

Hadji A pilgrim, distinguished by a green scarf about his turban when he has made the Mecca pilgrimage.

Haik The combined head-cloth and veil worn by the desert tribes; also the veil worn by women in the towns.

Hakim A physician.

Hamad A stony plain, a steppe.

Hamdullilah! It shall be so!

Hamla Baggage camels.

Hamman A bath, a bathing establishment.

Hamra Red.

Haram The forbidden. Synonymous with harem.

Harem The wives and concubines of a Moslem or the apartments allotted to them. Pronounced ha-réem.

Harka A band of fighting-men, varying in number.

Haya alla Salat! Haya alla Falah! The Moslem call to prayer.

Hejin A racing-camel.

Hejira Flight; specifically, the flight of Mohammed from Mecca, September 13, A.D. 622.

Henna, or Hinna A thorn-shrub and the reddish stain made from it.

Hezaam A woman’s veil.

Houri A nymph of the Mohammedan paradise, a beautiful and seductive woman.

Imam A priest; also a descendant of Mohammed who exercises both princely and priestly powers.

Inshallah! The will of God!

Islam The Mohammedan religion; the whole body of Mohammedans, or the countries which they occupy.

Jalib A well.

Jehad A holy war.

Jellabia A smock-like garment, worn under the burnous.

Ka’aba The great sanctuary at Mecca, the Moslem holy of holies.

Kadi or Cadi A judge; a magistrate who tries cases involving the Koranic law.

Kaibabs Bits of mutton roasted on a skewer.

Kaïd or Caïd A prince, a governor, a tribal ruler.

Kantara Bridge.

Kasbah A fortress or castle.

Kasr A castle.

Kahena Priestess.

Keffieh A head-cloth.

Kebir Strong.

Khalif, or Caliph A title of the successors of Mohammed both as temporal and spiritual rulers; now used by the sultans of Morocco.

Khalifa A representative or viceroy of the Khalif.

Khallas! It is finished!

Khalouk Rouge.

Khams A charm, usually taking the form of the hand of Fatima.

Khamsin Fifty; also a sand-laden desert wind which, it is claimed, blows intermittently for fifty days.

Khoorg A sack or basket used for carrying dates and fodder on the march.

Khouan A holy man.

Kief halak! How do you do? How are you?

Kohl A preparation of soot used by women to darken the eyelids.

Koran The Mohammedan Scriptures, containing the professed revelations to Mohammed.

Koubba A tomb, usually of a holy man; a shrine.

Kubla, or Kibla The point at Mecca toward which Mohammedans turn in prayer.

Leben Curdled sheep’s, goat’s, or camel’s milk.

Litham The face-cloth, usually blue, worn by Touareg warriors.

Madresseh or Mederseh Theological school or college, usually connected with a mosque.

Maghreb, or Moghreb The West.

Magzhen Government, administration.

Mansour Victor, conqueror.

Mansoura The victorious.

Marabout A holy man, a saint. The name is also applied to a shrine, usually built over a saint’s tomb.

Masjid A mosque, a place of worship.

Mehara A highly bred racing-camel.

Mehari Plural of mehara.

Mehariste A rider of a mehara; that is, a soldier of the Camel Corps.

Mellah The name applied to the quarter occupied by the Jews in certain towns.

Mejless A tribal council.

Mektub! It is written!

Meskoutine Accursed.

Mihrab The niche in a mosque indicating the direction of Mecca.

Mimbar Pulpit.

Mirabit A militant monk; the genesis of marabout.

Mish’ab A camel-stick.

Mogh’reb or Magh’reb The West; also the sunset prayer.

Mou’abbir A pious and learned man.

Muezzin A caller to prayer.

Mullah or Mollah A priest.

Nargileh A pipe, in which the smoke is drawn through water.

Nasria A bottle-shaped reservoir.

Nazrani A Christian.

Nuálla The conical thatched hut of central Morocco.

Nuksh hadida Moorish sculptured plaster-work.

Nullah A dried up watercourse.

N’zala The square empty place in the center of a village.

Pasha A Turkish title of rank, still used in Algeria and Morocco.

Quaita A reed instrument, a cross between a whistle and a flute.

Rabit A monastery fortress.

Rahmat ullahi Allahim! The peace of God be upon him!

Ramadan The ninth month of the Mohammedan calendar; the great annual fast of the Moslems.

Rezel Gazelle.

Rhorfa A house in Medenine, in southern Tunisia.

Roumi A European, a Christian.

Sahab Companion, particularly of the Prophet.

Sahrij A pool, an artificial lagoon.

Salaam An obeisance; a low bow with the hand on the forehead.

Salaam aleikum! Greeting to you!

Salaam aleikum was Rahmat Allah! Greeting to you and the peace of Allah!

Serai A place for keeping wives and concubines; usually a portion of a palace.

Shaduf The sweep and bucket used to draw water from a well.

Sharaqua To rise, as the sun; whence Sirocco, a wind from the east, the desert.

Sharq The East.

Shat or Chott A canal, estuary, salt lake.

Shehada The Moslem profession of faith: Ash hadu illa illaha ill Allah, wa ash hadu inna Mohammed an rasool Allah.

Sheikh The chief of a tribe or clan; also the chief magistrate of a village. Pronounced “shake.”

Sheikh-ul-Islam The highest ecclesiastical authority in Islam.

Sheitan The Evil One.

Shereef A member of an Arab princely family descended from Mohammed through his daughter Fatima. It is one of the titles of the sultan of Morocco, and the term “shereefian” is applied to his government.

Sherifa A female descendant of Mohammed.

Sidi A lord, a prince.

Sitt A lady.

Sokhab A tiara of small coins worn by desert women, as the Ouled-Naïl.

Souk A bazaar, a market-place.

Spahi A native cavalryman (Tunisian, Algerian, or Moroccan) in the French service.

Sura A verse of the Koran.

Taiyib! Well! Good!

Tarboosh A cylindrical cap of red or brown felt, higher and straighter than the Turkish fez.

Tel A hill.

Tell The name applied to that portion of Barbary lying between the coastal plains and the high mountains.

Tobh The single garment worn by Arab women of the poorer classes.

Ulema The official interpreters of the Koranic law.

Vizir, or Wazir A councilor of state; a cabinet minister.

Wadi, or Wad River or small stream. The French spell it oued.

Wahran A ravine.

Wakf A religious or benevolent foundation.

Wakil A councilor.

Wazir The same as vizir.

Ya Yes.

Zariba A thorny hedge, natural or artificial.

Zawia, or Zaouia A monastery; originally the house of a religio-military brotherhood.

Zemzimayah A water-bottle.

Zouave A French infantryman wearing a uniform modeled on the dress of the Zouaoua, a tribe living in the mountains of the Grand Kabylia.