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Post by deuce on Feb 22, 2018 10:23:12 GMT -5
I thought a glossary of foreign terms in REH's "desert adventure" yarns would be helpful. Many of the terms also turn up in Howard's other historical adventures set in Asia and Africa. Let's get started. abba — also "abaya", meaning the aba: a long, loose sleeveless outer garment of aba fabric or of fine silk worn chiefly by Bedouin Arabs. Mentioned in Blood of the Gods and Son of the White Wolf.
Afridi — (classically called the Abaörteans) a Pashtun tribe inhabiting about 1,000 square miles (3,000 sq. km) of rough hilly area in the eastern Safed Koh range, west of the Peshawar Valley.
agha — an honorific for high officials used in Turkey and certain Muslim countries. The word comes from Turkish ağa “chief, master, lord,”, and was a title for a civil or military officer.
akinji — in Turkish akıncı, literally “raider” (plural akıncılar), were Ottoman irregular light cavalry. It was the new name given to the preexisting Turkish ghazis when they were incorporated into the Ottoman Empire’s military. They were one of the first divisions to face the opposing military and were known for their prowess in battle. Unpaid, they lived and operated as raiders on the frontiers of the Ottoman Empire, subsisting totally on plunder. Mikhal Oglu in The Shadow of the Vulture led a band of akinji.
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Post by deuce on Feb 23, 2018 3:14:11 GMT -5
Al Hamud Lillah — Arabic exclamation, Al-Ḥamdu Lillāh (Alhamdulillah, Elhamdulillah, Hamdellah): “Praise to God” or “All praise is due to Allah". Used in the El Borak story, Blood of the Gods. Allah ilallah — The Tahlil, or first part of the Shahada. It means, "There is no god but Allah." Wiki: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TahlilAllaho akbar — Allāhu Akbar: “Allah is the Greatest.” ameer — alternate spelling of "amir"; see emir. Apparently only used in the El Borak story, The Country of the Knife. Asad tribes, the — mentioned in The Lion of Tiberias. The Bani Assad or Banu Assad (Arabic for “Sons of the Lion”) is a tribe of Adnanite Arabs in Iraq. Powerful and one of the most famous tribes, they are widely respected by other tribes and respected by Shia Muslims, because they buried the body of Imam Husayn. Many martyrs of the Battle of Karbala (10 October 680AD) are from the Banu Asad. asper — a silver coin, the akçe (akche) was the chief monetary unit of the Ottoman Empire, equal to a third of the para (from Persian pārah, piece); 120 akçes equaled one large silver kuruş ( gurûş, from the German Groschen but often called piastre). atabeg — (atabeg, atabek, or atabey) a hereditary title of nobility of Turkic origin, indicating a governor of a nation or province who was subordinate to a monarch and charged with raising the crown prince. The word is a compound of the Turkic ata (ancestor) and beg or bey (leader, prince). When a Seljuk prince died, leaving minor heirs, a guardian would be appointed to protect and guide the young princes. These guardians would often marry their ward’s widowed mothers, thus assuming a sort of surrogate fatherhood. azabs — azaps (from the Arabic for “bachelor”) were irregular light infantry of the Ottoman army. They were volunteers who were paid only during campaigns and had the freedom to leave the army whenever they wanted. Initially only Anatolian Turks, by the late 16th century any Muslim from an Ottoman province could enlist as an azap. Their main role was fighting as infantry archers, although they were often mounted as well. They are frequently confused with the asappes (or asappi, from the Turkish saph, which signifies rank, file, order); these were an order of soldiers who were exposed to the first shock of their enemies. This tactic was used to fatigue the enemies and blunt their swords, allowing the Sipahis and Janissaries to push forward and easily conquer the enemy. The assapes were held of so little value that they frequently served as bridges for the cavalry to pass over in poor roads, and as fascines to fill up the ditches in sieges. They traveled on foot and were unpaid, except for what they could plunder from the enemy.
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Post by deuce on Feb 23, 2018 14:49:35 GMT -5
bahadur — see bogatyr. bashibazouki — a bashi-bazouk or bashibazouk (from Turkish başıbozuk, literally “damaged head,” meaning “free headed, leaderless, disorderly”) was an irregular soldier of the Ottoman army, noted for their lack of discipline. They were armed and maintained by the government, but did not receive pay and did not wear uniforms or distinctive badges. Primarily, they were motivated to fight by expectations of plunder. Though the majority of troops fought on foot, some troops (called akibi) rode on horseback. Batinis — how the modern-day Assassins of the El Borak story Three-Bladed Doom refer to themselves, but in reality, that is what their medieval enemies called them. Batiniyya is a pejorative term to refer to groups, such as Alevism, Ismailism, and often Sufism, that distinguish between an inner, esoteric (Batini) level of meaning in the Qur’an, in addition to the outer, exoteric level of meaning (Zahiri). beg — (beg or baig, also begg) an alternative form of the Turkic title bey (chief, lord, leader, commander, chieftain, governor etc). It is also used by Iranian, Afghan and Pakistani people. The wife of a beg is referred to as begum, bickum or baigum. Cf. atabeg. bey — see beg. bhang — a preparation from the leaves and flowers (buds) of the female cannabis plant, smoked or consumed as a beverage in the Indian subcontinent. bismillah — Basmala or Bismillah (“In Allah’s name”) is an Arabic noun that is used as the collective name of the whole of the recurring Islamic phrase b-ismi-llāhi r-raḥmāni r-raḥīm. Bismillah el rahman el rahhim — Arabic exclamation, b-ismi-llāhi r-raḥmāni r-raḥīm: “In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.” Used in the El Borak story Blood of the Gods. Black Kirghiz — in Turkish Kara-Kirghiz; a term specifically used to distinguish the Kyrgyz (a Turkic ethnic group found primarily in Kyrgyzstan) from their more numerous northern relatives, the Kazakhs. bogatyr — Russian form of the Turkic word for “warrior, commander, hero” In other languages it exists in forms such as bahadur, baatar (bator). It is now used as a common name.
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Post by deuce on Feb 24, 2018 2:10:42 GMT -5
caftan — see kaftan. calpack — see kalpak. caphar — Islamic term, derived from the Arabic kafir, for “infidel, unbeliever” i.e. a non-Muslim. caravanserai — caravan station where traders and travellers and their animals rest; a roadside inn having a central courtyard where caravans can rest. cittern, cithern — (also cither) a stringed instrument of the guitar family dating from the Renaissance. Its name derives ultimately from the Iranian se-tar or “three strings.” chupatties — a chupatty (also chapata, chapati, chappati, chowpatty) is a simple circular, flat, unleavened bread made with sieved wholemeal flour and water. Common all across the Indian subcontinent.
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Post by deuce on Feb 25, 2018 1:41:43 GMT -5
Ddjebbeh — jibbah (also djibbah, jibba; variant of jubbah) is a long, collarless coat or smock worn by Muslims. Eeffendi — meaning an educated or well-respected man in an eastern Mediterranean or Arab country; often used as a title of respect or courtesy in Turkey or a former Ottoman territory. emir — Emir (Arabic: amīr, female emira: amīrah), “commander; general; (also) prince.” Also transliterated amir, aamir, ameer, it is a high title of nobility or office, used throughout the Muslim world, as well as historically in 19th-century Afghanistan and in the medieval Muslim world. Amirs are usually considered high-ranking sheikhs, but in monarchical states the term is also used for princes, with “Emirate” being analogous to principality in this sense. Erlik — (Erlik, Erlig) the god of death and underworld in Turkic and Mongolian mythology. Also known as "Erlik Khan". Ffellaheen — (or fellahin) plural of fellah: a peasant in an Arabic country. Feringhi, Feringi, Ferengi — Arabic for Frank, used to indicate a European, Westerner, and (in Howard’s day) “white man.” Feringistan — “Frankistan” (the land of the Franks, i.e. originally meaning France), where the Feringhi live, so Europe and the USA. fortalice — see sangar.
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Post by deuce on Feb 25, 2018 13:49:24 GMT -5
Gghazi — derived from the Arabic. In pre-Muslim Arabia, it originally meant simply "raider" or "brigand". With the rise of Islam, it soon acquired a more specific meaning of "fighter against the infidels". "Ghazi" was included in the throne names of numerous Ottoman sultans. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghazi_(warrior)#Ghazi_warriorGhilzai — one of the major Pashtun tribes found in Afghanistan and Pakistan, also known in history as Ghaljis, and Gharzais by some locals; located mainly in the southeast, between Kandahar and Kabul. Almost certainly the inspiration for the name of the "Galzai" tribe in The People of the Black Circle. gumbaz — a native term in southwest Asia for "kaftan". See here: books.google.com/books?id=U0MPAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA185&lpg=PA185&dq=gombaz+clothing&source=bl&ots=o_0RcY5BWY&sig=2YcVQMbma9lcT-pYUy3EW1zmuuI&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi8g6aBzsHZAhUES6wKHQsMADAQ6AEIaTAJ#v=onepage&q=gombaz%20clothing&f=falseHhakim — as used in Blood of the Gods, it refers to a hakīm, a “wise man” or “physician". (Note: despite being usually spelled the same in English, it is not the same word as the Arabic hākim, meaning ruler, governor or judge, which is pronounced differently.) harim — harem, the private part of an Arab household. In traditional Arab culture, this part of the household was forbidden to non-castrated male strangers. Turkish harem, from Arabic ḥaram “something prohibited; sanctuary, women;” and later also from ḥarīm with same meaning, both from ḥaruma “be forbidden or unlawful.” houri — the ḥūr or ḥūrīyah, described as “(splendid) companions of equal age (well-matched),” “lovely eyed,” of “modest gaze,” “voluptuous,” “pure beings” or “companions pure” of paradise, denoting humans and jinn who enter paradise after being recreated anew in the hereafter. infogalactic.com/info/HouriIimam — Islamic leadership position, often the leader of a mosque and its attendant community. inshallah — Insha’Allah (In ša’ Allāh), Arabic term to indicate hope for an aforementioned event to occur in the future. The phrase translates as “Allah willing” or “If it is Allah’s will”.
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Post by deuce on Feb 26, 2018 14:27:15 GMT -5
Jjanizaries — Janissaries (from Ottoman Turkish Yeniçeri “new soldier”) comprised infantry units that formed the Ottoman sultan’s household troops and bodyguards. The force was created by the Sultan Murad I from male children enslaved through the devşirme system. The young boys were from conquered countries, primarily the Christian nations of the Balkans. The system was initiated during the 14th century. It was finally abolished by Sultan Mahmud II in the 19th century. www.britannica.com/topic/Janissary-corpsJehannum — a variant spelling of the Arabic Jahannam, “the Hell-fire; Hell". The Islamic conception of Hell. Jowaki — One of several Afridi clans or septs on the Indian-Afghan border. They were centered around the Kohat Pass. Here's a cool pictorial record of the "Jowaki Expedition": www.donaldheald.com/pages/books/26989/jowaki-expedition-pakistan-3rd-sikh-infantry-lt-oswald-c-radford/jowaki-manuscript-title-of-an-album-of-watercolours-and-pen-and-ink-sketches-by-radford-recordingJuheina — Juhayna, a large Bedouin tribe whose region surrounds the area of Mecca, and extends to Southern Medina. Many of its warriors were recruited as mercenaries during World War I by Prince Faisal (as seen in the El Borak story Son of the White Wolf). KKabuli — not really a tribe as such, rather, referring to those in the service of the emir of Kabul; it could be seen as equal to “royalist” etc in times of civil strife. kafieh, kafiyeh, kaffiyeh — keffiyeh, a traditional headdress typically worn by Arab men; made of a square of cloth (“scarf”), folded and wrapped in various styles around the head. kaftan — a man’s cotton or silk cloak buttoned down the front, with full sleeves, reaching to the ankles and worn with a sash. See also, "gumbaz". Kalat — (also Qalat, Qelat, Kalaat, or Kelat) "fortress". Very likely a Persian loan-word into Arabic. A fortified place or fortified village. For "khalat", see below. Kalmucks — Kalmyk people or Kalmyks (alternatively translated as Kalmuck, Kalmuk, or Kalmyki) is the name of a western Mongolic people, the European branch of the Oirats who migrated from Central Asia in the seventeenth century. Their ancient grazing lands are now located in Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia and China. kalpak — (also calpack, calpac, kalpac, qalpaq) a high-crowned cap (usually made of felt or sheepskin) worn by men in Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, and throughout Central Asia and the Caucasus. Keraits — the Turkish Keraits or Kereits were a cluster of many subtribes (indeed, they are often called a clan) in Central Asia, dominant in the area and, as allies of Genghis Khan, influential in the rise of the Mongol Empire. They lived in the area between the Orkhon and Kherlen rivers, to the east of the Naimans, and like them are sometimes called Mongols. They seem to have been predominantly Nestorian Christians and were referred to as such by REH in Red Blades of Black Cathay. www.eyeoftheneedle.net/excerpts/excerpt-%20devil's%20horsemen.htm khalat — a loose long-sleeved outer silk or cotton robe common in Central Asia, Iran, Pakistan and northern India and worn both by men and women, although in differing styles. khilat — see khalat. Khyber knife -- an Afghan "knife" which sometimes attained an overall length of 30+ inches. Also known as a salawar. A favored weapon of El Borak during his time in Afghanistan. Almost certainly the inspiration for the "Zhaibar knife" found in People of the Black Circle. kibitka — (also kabitka) Russian word for a nomad’s dwelling of some ethnic groups such as the Kalmyks and Kyrgyz (cf. the yurts of an ordu). The Russians also used the word for a type of covered horse-drawn carriage, often used to transport prisoners. kindhjal — a double-edged dagger of the Caucasus region in Asia. "Kindjal" is the Russian form of the name. The dagger was often used by Cossacks. The Circassian form of the name is khanjali. It is found in both straight and curved forms, though the straight version seems to be the original one. A favorite weapon of the REH character, Kirby O'Donnell. Kipchaks — ancient people who seem to have left Siberia around the middle of the 11th century and started for Europe. The western Kipchaks were known as Cumans (Kumans, Kuns) in Western Europe and Polovtsy (Polovtsians) in Ukraine and Russia, or by other names, most of which have the meaning “pale, sallow.” Howard’s Kipchaks, however, are the Central Asian branch that did not move all the way to Europe. Kirghiz — see Black Kirghiz. Kismet — Turkish for Fate; a predetermined or unavoidable destiny. Kshatriya — ( kṣatriya) Hindi for “protector of gentle people,” the second-highest of the four castes or varnas in traditional Hindu society; the warrior or military caste. . kumiss, koumiss — kumis: a fermented dairy product traditionally made from mare’s milk. Known throughout Central Asia. Mare's milk has a higher sugar content than cow's milk, making it easier to ferment into alcohol.
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Post by deuce on Feb 27, 2018 2:40:47 GMT -5
LLa illaha illulah; Muhammad rassoul ullah — the two parts of the Sunni Shahada. The first is Lā ilāha ill-Allāh (There is no god other than Allah). The second is Muhammadun rasulullah (Muhammad is the messenger of Allah), completing the statement. Lurs — the inhabitants of Luristan, located in the Zagros Mountains of western Iran. A Lur was among the motley band found within the ancient walls of Bab-al-Shaitan in the Cormac Fitzgeoffrey story, The Blood of Belshazzar. www.iranicaonline.org/articles/luristan-parent MMashallah — Arabic phrase, Māšā’ Allāh, indicating appreciation for an aforementioned individual or event. It is used as an expression of respect, while at the same time serving as a reminder that all accomplishments are so achieved by the will of Allah. The present perfect tense of Allah’s will accentuating the essential Islamic doctrine of belief in fate. Melakani, Melikani — apparently, from context, "American". Compare to "Feringhi", which is the old Arabic term for "Frenchman/European". Melek Taus — also Malik Tous, Melek Taos, etc. The Peacock Angel (Kurdish Tawûsê Melek), the Yazidis’ name for the central figure of their faith. The second part of the name rhymes roughly with "house". Referred to in Dig Me No Grave and The Brazen Peacock. memluk — or mameluke, one of a body of mounted soldiers recruited from slaves converted to Mohammedanism, who, at times, had more or less control of the government of Egypt, until exterminated or dispersed by Mehemet Ali in 1811. From Arabic mamluk “slave” (used specifically for white/non-Sub-Saharan African slaves). One of their titles was "White Slaves of the Nile". Baibars, in Sowers of the Thunder, was a memluk.
NNaimans — the Mongolian name for a group of people dwelling on the steppe of Central Asia, having diplomatic relations with the Kara-Khitai, and subservient to them until 1177. They are most often classified as a Turkic people, but there are also sources that count them as Mongols. nakir, nakar — naker, a kettledrum, from Arabic naqqāra, “drum.” Nizam — shortened version of Nizam-ul-Mulk (Administrator of the Realm), the title of the native sovereigns of Hyderabad State, India, since 1719, belonging to the Asaf Jah dynasty. noyon — noyan, noyon was a title of authority in the Mongol Empire and later periods. Initially, it was a term for a military commander in the army of Genghis Khan. It was not a military rank: the term noyon applied to commanders of tumens (10,000 soldiers), as well as for minghans (1,000 soldiers). During conquests noyons used to receive territories for administration and they effectively became Mongolian aristocracy. They were above the ordinary Mongols but below the scions of Genghis and his brothers. They were sometimes called emir or bey in the Islamic areas. Chepe Noyon--"Arrow Prince"--was one of Genghis Khan's chief lieutenants and figured prominently in the climax of Red Blades of Black Cathay.
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Post by deuce on Feb 27, 2018 12:40:39 GMT -5
OOrakzai — a Pashtun tribe of eighteen clans, mostly settled in Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province. Almost certainly the inspiration for the "Irakzai" mentioned in People of the Black Circle. ordu — Turkish for “army, horde.” Howard uses it in a slightly different sense related to yurt (the portable homes the people of the ordu inhabit; cf. kibitka), so meaning rather “mobile village.” orkhan — title similar to gurkhan, khagan, etc, and so basically a superior type of khan. PPathan — meaning Pashtuns or Pakhtuns. An Eastern Iranian ethno-linguistic group with populations primarily in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Note that Howard’s Pathans always speak Pashto, not “Patho” as could be expected from his choice of name for the group. For the Pathan tribes Howard mentions, see Afridi, Ghilzai, Jowaki, Orakzai, Shinwari, Waziri, and Yusufzai. paynim — archaic English word for pagans or heathens, especially Muslims. Usually used as a plural, collective term. The English counterpart to the Arabic kuffār. QQalat -- see kalat above. RRoualla, Rualla, Roualli — the Ruwallah, a large Bedouin Arab tribe of Lebanon, northern Arabia and the Syrian Desert, including modern-day Jordan. Until the demarcation of borders in the Middle East in the early 20th century, the Ruwallah were an almost entirely warrior tribe centered in the region of al-Jauf and Wadi Sirhan in northern Arabia, though their tribal territories extended as far southwards as al-Qasim, and as far northwards as Damascus. The tribe apparently came to being some time in the 16th century, or shortly thereafter, and belong to the Dhana Maslam branch of the large ‘Anizzah tribal confederation. They had historically been rivals with the neighboring tribe of Shammar, and were active in the “Arab Revolt” against the Ottomans during the First World War (as seen in the El Borak story Son of the White Wolf). The Roualla figure prominently in Lawrence's Revolt in the Desert, which REH owned. Rustum, Rustem — Rostam from Zabulistan, the national hero of Greater Iran in Persian mythology. Godric de Villehard is compared to Rustum in Red Blades of Black Cathay.
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Post by deuce on Feb 28, 2018 3:52:26 GMT -5
Ssahib — from Hindustani sāhib (lord), Arabic sāhib (companion). Formerly, a term of respect for a white European in colonial India. sangar — (Kurdish, Persian: “barricade”) small temporary fortified position with a breastwork of stone. However, Howard seems always to use the word to indicate a larger, more permanent construction, such as a stone tower or small fort; indeed, he equates it with the archaic word fortalice, “a small fortress.” shaykh — see sheikh . serai — see caravanserai. sheikh — also Sheik, Shaykh, Shaikh, Sheyh, Šeih, Šejh, Şeyh, etc (Arabic: shaykh, plural shuyūkh): Arabic word or honorific term literally meaning “elder” or "old man". Commonly used to designate an elder of a tribe, a revered wise man, or an Islamic scholar. The leader of the Assassins was called the Shaykh-al-Jebel, or "Old Man of the Mountain". Shinwari — an ethnic Pashtun tribe of western Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan. Shirkuh — name used by Kirby O’Donnell, and also by several other characters. Howard translates it as “mountain lion” (an actual lion, not a cougar/puma) which is the word’s meaning in Persian, although that is not used as a name. Usually, Howard’s Shirkuhs are Kurds, in which case the name is really Shêr-guh (also Shêrko, or Shêrgo) and meaning “lion-ear.” sirkar — in India: The Government, the State. spahi — Sipahi (Ottoman Turkish; also transliterated as Spahi, Sepahi, and Spakh) was the name of several Ottoman cavalry corps. The word refers to all Ottoman mounted troops other than akincis and tribal horsemen, and is used almost synonymously with cavalry. There were two distinct types: the feudal-like, provincial Timarli Sipahis (timariots), and the salaried, regular Kapikulu Sipahis (Sipahis of the Porte) that formed the cavalry part of Ottoman household troops. In the form of “Spahi” it was the title given to several cavalry units serving in the French and Italian colonial armies during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The name ultimately derives from the Persian sepâh (“army”) and has the same root as the English term “sepoy.” Sudozai — mentioned as a tribe or something similar in the El Borak story The Country of the Knife. suk — souk, an Arab marketplace.
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Post by deuce on Feb 28, 2018 14:51:11 GMT -5
TTajik — a general designation for a wide range of Persian-speaking peoples of Iranian origin, with traditional homelands in present-day Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and southern Uzbekistan. talsmin — a talisman (from Arabic tilasm, ultimately from Greek telesma or the word telein which means “to initiate into the mysteries”) is an amulet or other object considered to possess supernatural or magical powers. tarboosh — a red felt or cloth cap with a tassel, worn in the Arab world; a fez. tugh - Tuğ in Turkish and Sülde in Mongolian. A Horse or yak tail banner/standard of the Turco-Mongol peoples. Mentioned in Red Blades of Black Cathay. tulwar — (also talwar, talwaar) the favoured weapon in Howard’s Eastern stories: a type of curved sword, equivalent to the European sabre, originating in medieval India dating back to at least the 13th century. Since it lacks the radical curve of otherwise similar Persian sabres, it can be used for slashing, thrusting and cutting purposes by both mounted warriors and foot soldiers. The blade of some examples widens towards the tip, making it a very savage cutting blade if used by a skilled warrior: when a blow is struck it transfers tremendous amount of force towards the fore end and can cleave a person in half. For example, a giant deaf-mute guard in the El Borak story The Daughter of Erlik Khan carries a “broad-tipped tulwar.” Turkoman — (also Turkomen, in Howard’s plural) the Turkmen (Türkmen, plural Türkmenler) are a Turkic people located primarily in the Central Asian states of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, northern Iraq and in northeastern Iran. Turcople — (also turcopoles, turcopoli or turcopoliers, from the Greek tourkópouloi, “sons of Turks”) locally recruited mounted archers employed by the Christian states of the Eastern Mediterranean. At first used by the Byzantine army as auxiliaries, they were children of mixed Greek and Turkish parentage, and at least nominally Christian (although some may have been practising Muslims). In the crusader states the turcoples were not necessarily Turkish or mixed-race mercenaries, but many were probably recruited from Christianized Seljuqs, or from Syrian Eastern Orthodox Christians under crusader rule. UUighurs -- see "Vigurs" below. Uzbek — a Turkic-speaking people in Central Asia, comprising the majority population of Uzbekistan, with large populations in Afghanistan, Tajikstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia and Xinjiang (China). VVigurs — an unusual alternate spelling of "Uighurs" from Lord of Samarcand, the only instance I know of where REH refers to this Central Asian people. The Uighurs, now called Uyghur, a Turkic ethnic group living in Eastern and Central Asia, today primarily in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The term has taken on an increasingly expansive definition, from a small coalition of Tiele tribes, to denoting citizenship in the Uyghur Khaganate (744-847AD), to an ethnicity, whose ancestry derives from two distinct populations: Turkic and Tocharian. vizier — high-ranking official or minister in an Islamic government, especially in the Ottoman Empire. From the Turkish vezir, which comes from the Arabic wazīr, “helper, aide, minister; one who bears (the burden of office)” (probably literally “porter, carrier” from wazara “he carried”).
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Post by deuce on Mar 1, 2018 14:39:06 GMT -5
Wwadi -- (Arabic: وادي, translit. wādī, Hebrew: ואדי vādī)" is the Arabic and Hebrew term traditionally referring to a valley. In some instances, it may refer to a dry (ephemeral) riverbed that contains water only during times of heavy rain. Mentioned in Blood of the Gods and Sowers of the Thunder. Wallah, Wellah — Arabic oath, Wa ‘Allah: “By Allah.”. wazeer — see vizier. Waziri — (Wazirs, Waziris) a Pashtun tribe settled in Pakistan’s North Waziristan and South Waziristan agencies and Aghanistan’s Paktia, Khost and Paktika provinces. Waziristan — where the Waziris live. X
Nothing for "X"...yet. Y
Ya Allah — Arabic exclamation: "O, Allah!" yah khawand — my lord. ya sidi; ya Sidna — O lord (master, sir). yasmaq — (yashmak, yashmac, yasmak) a Turkish type of veil or niqab worn by many Muslim women to cover their faces in public. yataghan — (also yatagan) a type of Turkish sword (which became known in other countries as the “Turkish sword”) used from the mid-16th to late 19th centuries. It is a single-edged blade with a marked forward curve and a hilt (with no guard). The blade is 60-80 cm long and curved forward (in some “recurved” variants it reclines backwards again towards the very end), and while the back is made of softer steel, the sharp edge is made of hard, tempered steel for durability. Since it has no guard, the yatagan fits closely into the top of the scabbard; this is customarily worn thrust into a waist sash, retained by hook. Yezidees — The Yazidis (also Yezidis) are members of a unique religion centered in Kurdistan. See also Melek Taus. Yusufzai — Yūsufzai (also Youssofzay, Yousafzai, Esapzey, Yousufi, or Yūsufi), one of the largest Pashtun tribes; the majority of Yusufzai reside in Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province. Z
zenana -- in some areas of Iran, Pakistan and India, the term for the women's quarters within a household.
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Post by deuce on Mar 1, 2018 14:41:55 GMT -5
I thought a glossary of foreign terms in REH's "desert adventure" yarns would be helpful. Many of the terms also turn up in Howard's other historical adventures set in Asia and Africa. Let's get started. abba — meaning the aba: a long, loose sleeveless outer garment of aba fabric or of fine silk worn chiefly by Bedouin Arabs. Wiki: en.wiktionary.org/wiki/aba
Great idea for a thread Deuce. I have managed to find the good ol' abba mentioned in at least a couple of the El Borak yarns - thanks to google, cos my memory is not that good . A wadi or gully broke the plain ahead of him, meandering to a point within a few hundred feet of the Well. Gordon crept toward it, taking advantage of every bit of cover. He had almost reached it, at a point a hundred yards from the Well, when a man in white kafieh and ragged abba materialized from among the palms. Discovery in the growing light was instant. The Arab yelled and fired. The bullet knocked up dust a foot from Gordon’s knee, as he crouched on the edge of the gully, and he fired back. The Arab cried out, dropped his rifle and staggered drunkenly back among the palms. Blood of the Gods, p.241, El Borak and Other Desert adventures, Del Rey. Mitkhal ran toward him, yelling furiously, and snapping a pistol at him. The shaykh, in the confusion of the fighting, did not seem to be aware that the gun was empty, for he pulled the trigger again and again as he stood in the path of the oncoming rider. Only at the last moment did he realize his peril and leap back. Even so, he would have sprung clear had not his sandal heel caught in a dead man’s abba. p.359, Son of the White Wolf, El Borak and Other Desert adventures, Del Rey. Son of the White Wolf was also freely adapted/Conanized by Roy Thomas in SSOC 37. Right on, Hun. Feel free to cite instances like that. We may edit/add some into the glossary posts. Always good to see quoted texts from REH.
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Post by deuce on Mar 1, 2018 15:06:03 GMT -5
Alright, alright, alright. The moment you've all been waiting for. Seriously though, I've now posted the complete (rough draft version) of the glossary. Now it's up to y'all to critique it, correct it and suggest other terms that need added. Thus, the thread is now unlocked. I didn't lock it due to some authoritarian power trip. I simply wanted to follow Finarvyn's excellent "timeline" example: swordsofreh.proboards.com/thread/377/timeline-howards-charactersSuccinctly, Fin posted his rough timeline, then added new data to his original posts, making it a "living" and updateable document. I want to do the same with the glossary. However, I forgot to lock the thread initially and Hun jumped in with a comment. No biggie. I hadn't said anything about my plan. With Hun's permission, the original post is over on the "El Borak" thread: swordsofreh.proboards.com/thread/496/francis-gordon-legendary-el-borak?page=3Thus, the flow of original glossary posts is uninterrupted for anyone wanting to read them. I have also quoted/replied to Hun's post above, so it's still on this thread, in a way. I know I've left things out. The Hashishin/Assassins, for instance. Just spotted that. There are other terms I'm sure I haven't posted. Really, any terms/obscure whatevers from any REH yarns set anywhere from northern equatorial Africa--where the Arab influence is strong, thanks to the Islamic slave trade--down to southern India--for example, Thuggees--all the way to Mongolia is, possibly, fair game. No China or southeast Asia, though.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 2, 2018 1:27:10 GMT -5
Great idea for a thread Deuce. A wadi or gully broke the plain ahead of him, meandering to a point within a few hundred feet of the Well. Gordon crept toward it, taking advantage of every bit of cover. He had almost reached it, at a point a hundred yards from the Well, when a man in white kafieh and ragged abba materialized from among the palms. Discovery in the growing light was instant. The Arab yelled and fired. The bullet knocked up dust a foot from Gordon’s knee, as he crouched on the edge of the gully, and he fired back. The Arab cried out, dropped his rifle and staggered drunkenly back among the palms. Blood of the Gods, p.241, El Borak and Other Desert adventures, Del Rey. Right on, Hun. Feel free to cite instances like that. We may edit/add some into the glossary posts. Always good to see quoted texts from REH. Thanks Deuce. Got another one from the quote above. Wadi:
Described as/or a gully in the Blood of the Gods. Here's the description from Wikipedia: Wadi (Arabic: وادي, translit. wādī, Hebrew: ואדי vādī)" is the Arabic and Hebrew term traditionally referring to a valley. In some instances, it may refer to a dry (ephemeral) riverbed that contains water only during times of heavy rain.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WadiA wadi or gully broke the plain ahead of him, meandering to a point within a few hundred feet of the Well. Gordon crept toward it, taking advantage of every bit of cover. He had almost reached it, at a point a hundred yards from the Well, when a man in white kafieh and ragged abba materialized from among the palms. Discovery in the growing light was instant. The Arab yelled and fired. The bullet knocked up dust a foot from Gordon’s knee, as he crouched on the edge of the gully, and he fired back. The Arab cried out, dropped his rifle and staggered drunkenly back among the palms. Blood of the Gods, p.241, El Borak and Other Desert adventures, Del Rey. Caught another Wadi from one of my favorite REH Historical Yarns The Sowers of the Thunder. They watched tensely as the lone rider dipped out of sight in a dry wadi, came into view again on the near side, clattered reelingly across the dusty level and drew rein beneath the gate. A lean hand drew shaft to ear, but a word from the first watcher halted the archer. The Frank below had half-climbed, half-fallen from his reeling horse, and now he staggered to the gate and smote against it resoundingly with his mailed fist.
“By Allah and by Allah!” swore the bearded watcher in wonder. “The Nazarene is mad!” He leaned over the battlement and shouted: “Oh, dead man, what wouldst thou at the gate of El Omad?” p.266, Sword Woman and other Historical adventures, Del Rey.
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