Glossary of Arab Expressions and Names of Places
- Abd
-
A servant, a slave, much used with an epithet of the Deity in the formation of proper names, as Abdullah, the servant of God; Abdul Cader, the servant of the Powerful, and so forth.
- Abu
-
Father of. A man assumes his son’s name with this prefix as an honourable title, letting his own name be almost forgotten.
- Afreet
-
A devil, a jinni (pl. afaereet).
- Ayûb
-
Job.
- Bara
-
Para. The Arabs have no letter P and cannot pronounce it.
- Basha
-
Pasha.
- Bedelíeh askerieh
-
Tax in lieu of military service, levied on unbelievers.
- Cabil
-
Cain.
- Caimmacàm
-
A local governor, inferior to the provincial governor (Wâly or Mutesarrif) and appointed by him.
- Damashc-ush-Shâm (or simply Es-Shâm)
-
Damascus. Shâm in this name is generally taken to mean “Left” in contrast with “Yemen” meaning “Right.” But it has more likely to do with Shem (Ar. Shâm); Syria is called Es-Shâm or Birr-ush-Shâm.
- Daûd
-
David.
- Dejìl
-
Antichrist.
- Dìn
-
Religion, faith—e.g., dìn Muhammed = El Islâm.
- Durzi
-
A Druze (pl. Drûz).
- Ebn
-
Son—e.g., ebn Ali = the son of Ali.
- Effendi
-
A title of respect given generally to Muhammadans.
- El Ajem
-
Persia.
- Eljizar
-
Algiers or Algeria (often confused with Eljezireh = Mesopotamia).
- El Khalìl
-
An epithet of the patriarch Abraham appropriate to his city of Hebron.
- Emìr
-
Prince, an hereditary and purely Arab title of nobility, having nothing to do with the Turkish gamut of dignities which, like the Russian, are purely official. It is given, for instance, to all the kindred of the Prophet, in addition to the epithet Sherìf ( = honourable, holy).
- Fellah
-
A husbandman, a peasant (pl. fellahìn).
- Fulân
-
An imaginary person (cp. Span. Don Fulano) as we say Mr. So-and-so.
- Habil
-
Abel.
- Haleb
-
Aleppo, surnamed the White (Esh-Shahbah).
- Inshallah
-
(Lit., if God will) I hope.
- Isa
-
Jesus (Muhammadan).
- Iskendería
-
Alexandria.
- Istanbûl
-
Constantinople.
- Jebel Târic
-
Gibraltar.
- Jinni
-
A geni, a fallen angel dwelling on earth and sharing with man the chance of salvation (pl. jin or jân).
- Kâfir
-
Infidel, heathen.
- Khawaja
-
A title of respect given exclusively to unbelievers.
- Lûndra
-
London.
- Marûni
-
A Maronite (pl. Mowarni).
- Masr
-
Egypt.
- Mashallah
-
(What does God wish!) the commonest exclamation of surprise.
- Mehkemeh
-
A court of law presided over by the Qadi.
- Miriam
-
Mary.
- Mufti
-
A religious judge in every city.
- Mûsa
-
Moses.
- Muslim
-
A Muhammadan (pl. Muslimûn).
- Mutesarrif
-
A governor of a province, less than a Wâly in dignity, but, like a Wâly, dependent directly on the Sultàn.
- Nabuli
-
Naples.
- Neby
-
Prophet.
- Nûh
-
Noah.
- Oäh
-
A cry equivalent to “Look out!”
- Qibla
-
The point towards which the face is turned at prayers (for Jews, Jerusalem, for Muhammadans, Mecca).
- Rûm
-
Greece.
- Sheykh
-
An old man; hence (age implying precedence) a chief, the headman of a tribe, a village, or indeed of any community.
- Suleyman
-
Solomon.
- Tarabulus
-
Tripoli (Tarabulus-Esh-Shâm, Tripoli of Syria; not Tarabulus el Gharb, Tripoli in Barbary).
- The Chief of Mountains (Jebel-ush-Sheikh)
-
Mount Hermon.
- The City of Peace (Medinat us Salam)
-
Baghdad.
- The Mountain (El Jebel)
-
Lebanon.
- The Sunset-Land (El Maghrib, el Gharb)
-
The north coast of Africa west or Egypt: The Barbary States.
- Wâly
-
The governor-general of a province, appointed directly by the Sultàn (or at least from Constantinople) and for a period of five years.
- Wilayet
-
The province governed by a Wâly.
- Yafez
-
Japheth.
- Y’Allah
-
(O God) the commonest of all exclamations, meaning whatever you please, oftenest with a sense of “Make haste!” or “Forward!”
- Yesua
-
Jesus (Christian).