A glossary of the Arabic words used in these essays, the Arabic alphabet, a guide to transliteration and Arabic numbering

The Arabian oryx has nothing to do with the glossary, but I felt it would be a nice idea to include a photo of it on this site as it is such a beautiful animal. Its proper name is al maha or, less commonly, al wadthihi and it once roamed the Arabian peninsula. Hunting and urbanisation killed it off in the region but now most of the states have zoos which include specimens. Incidentally, the name al wadthihi relates to the animal’s beautiful eyes.

Now, more prosaically, the glossary set out below was intended to be a vocabulary related mainly to building development in the Gulf. There are, however, a number of words which come into general discussions when dealing with the planning, design and building process, and which are added for interest, if not clarity. Please be aware that there may well be errors and omissions.

You should also be aware that the glossary is set out in Roman alphabetic order. This is different from the way in which an Arabic dictionary or glossary is set out: they are organised with respect to the root word, usually the third person singular of the past tense. Hence kataba is the root verb meaning ‘he wrote’ (something), under which maktab, meaning ‘office’ or ‘desk’, kaatib, meaning clerk or scribe, and maktoub, meaning ‘letter’, would be found.

There are few resources on the Internet but I have found a site that deals with a modern environmental vocabulary which some might find useful. It is off-line at the moment but I hope it will reappear, when I will correct the link. I also recommend the glossary found at the back of An Outline of Islamic Architecture for its vocabulary of classic Islamic architectural elements. Usefully, it also has a list of the sources used in compiling it. However, bear in mind that the vocabulary is not really related to Gulf Arabic.

The reader should also understand that there is constant dissent about the meanings of translations in general and, here, there is likely to be more as I am using both Gulf terms as well as Arabic words from elsewhere in the Arab world.

Transliteration

Arabic is transliterated by a number of different methods, but the various systems all seem to produce arbitrary pronunciations. This is particularly true when looking at pronunciation within the Arabian Gulf. Where I have used transliterated Arabic words I have aimed for an approximation in English of the way in which I have heard it spoken by Gulf Arabs.

For instance, Egyptians pronounce the letter ’jim’ or ’jeem’ – ’j’ – hard as in the word for hill, ’gebel’, whereas Gulf Arabs pronounce it softly as in ‘jabal’, or even ‘jebel’. Bear in mind that it is written in Arabic, ’jabal’.

Some of the words have been given me by Arabs from other areas and it is likely that there may be a number of irregularities because of this. In one area there is a particular difficulty which looks illogical on paper: this is the manner in which the indefinite pronoun 'the' is written and pronounced.

Although the two transliterated letters which make up the Arabic form of ‘the’ are always written in the same way – ‘al’ – their pronunciation differs according to the first letter of the following noun. These initial letters are sometimes called ‘sun and moon’ letters; the ‘sun’ letters causing the ‘l’ of ‘al’ to be dropped and the pronoun elided with the noun. Hence ‘al shams’ is actually pronounced ‘ash-shams’ with no effective break between the two words. This rule applies to the following Arabic letters:

Arabic letter		Arabic	English
d	as in	ad-doha	bay
l		al-liwan	covered terrace
r		ar-raml	sand or dust
s		as-seqf	ceiling
sh		ash-shams	sun
t		at-tabiq	storey
th		ath-thulaja	refrigerator
z		az-zulij	mosaics

Words are normally written or printed in their consonantal form only. The diacritics – the signs which give the vowelling – are omitted, and it is up to the reader to assume the correct understanding within the given context. This can cause difficulties. For instance a man and a foot are represented by the same three consonants: ’r’,’j’,’l’, – but are pronounced respectively, rajul and rijl. The three vowels are the equivalent of the English ‘a’, ‘i’ and ‘u’. There is also a written device – the shedda – which doubles consonants.

In Arabic there are neither of the English vowels, ’e’ or ’o’, nevertheless you will see that I have transliterated a number of words as having those vowels, as that appears to be how I have heard them spoken.

To complicate matters the form of the letters of the Arabic alphabet have rules governing their appearance when connected to letters on each side of them – remember to read from right to left:

some letters can be attached to the letter that precedes them but not to the ones in front of them, such as –

and some can be attached both to the letters in front and the letters behind – assuming this is not disallowed by the above rules:

Because of the difficulties of representing Arabic in English I have elected to simplify where possible, assuming that a person using the glossary will have heard the word in Arabic and will be looking for its meaning without knowledge of the letters of the Arabic alphabet, or the structure of its language.

Finally it should be noted that the printed and written forms of Arabic are different as they are, in fact, in English.

Arabic alphabet

The letters of the Arabic alphabet, but with no reference to a base line, are:

Arabic letter			Comment	English
alif				a or aa
ba				b
ta				t (soft)
tha				th
jim				j
ha			voiceless pharyngeal fricative	h (hard)
kha			voiceless uvular fricative	kh
sin				s (soft)
shin				sh
dal				d
dhal				dh
ain			glottal stop	a’ or ’
ghain			voiced uvular fricative	gh
ta				t (hard)
dha			voiced alveolar fricative	dh
fa				f
qaf			voiceless uvular stop	q
rim				r
zad				z
sad				s (hard)
dhad			voiced alveolar stop	dh
kaf				k
lam				l
mim				m
nun				n
wow				w
ya				y

In addition there is the silent Arabic ‘t’ which is the equivalent of the ‘h’ and features as a feminine singular suffix, as does a form of ‘y’ pronounced in the same way as the vowel ‘a’.

Verbs

The Arabic language has a tri-consonantal form and its basic root is the third person singular of the past tense. For instance kataba – he wrote – forms the basis of the vocabulary related to writing. From this are developed kitab, – a book, kutub – books, maktoub – a letter, kaatib – a scribe, and ektoub – the imperative, write!

Definite and indefinite pronouns

The indefinite pronoun ‘a’ or ‘an’ is not translated by Arabic into a specific word, but is assumed within the noun it describes. Thus ‘a book’ in Arabic would be kitab. However, the definite pronoun ‘the’ is translated in Arabic by ‘al’, as in ‘the book’ - al kitab.

Noun plurals

Two of a kind are described in Arabic by the addition of the suffix ‘ain’ to the single noun. Hence ‘kitab’ – a book, but ‘kitabain’ – two books.

A separate form exists for any number from three to ten of a kind but, above that, the noun form returns to the singular. Three books would be ‘thalatha kutub’ and ten books would be ‘ashra kutub’, but eleven would be described as ‘hedashra kitab’, and a thousand books, ‘elf kitab’.

Comparative adjectives

Comparative adjectives are generally described in two forms with the prefix ‘the’ added to the median form to produce the superlative form. Hence big, bigger, biggest is translated as ‘kabir’, ‘akbar’, ‘al akbar’.

There are a number of different standards for the transliteration of Arabic into English. Here I have put the system I have used together with the definition of all the words used in these essays.

Glossary

I should repeat here that the glossary below is set out differently from that of an Arabic dictionary. Not only is the order based on the Roman alphabet, but the initial letters relate to the way in which the Arabic word is heard, this often being different from the actual Arabic letter. For instance the letters ‘c’, ‘e’ and ‘o’ do not exist in Arabic, yet I have shown words beginning with them, as that is how they sound to me.

In addition I am aware that there are other inconsistencies. The main one is in my using ‘ee’ and ‘i’ interchangeably depending, in the main, on how I have heard them spoken.

The main purpose of the glossary is to enable you to learn the meaning of a word spoken in Arabic.

Arabic	English
A
’alam	flag
a’amoud	column
a’oud	incense used to perfume, particularly, in the majlis
abaya – pl. abayaat	black cloak worn by women
abyadh	white
’ada – pl. ’adat	a habit, or something carried out habitually
adhaan	the call to prayers, usually made through a loud speaker attached to the minaret of a mosque
adl	justice
ahmar	red
’ain	the twelfth letter of the Arabic alphabet, containing a glottal stop
akhbar	news
akhdar	green
alair	on
alatool	straight ahead – coll.
alif	the first letter of the Arabic alphabet
al ikhwan as-safa’	the Brotherhood of Purity
al khatt al mansub	a classic calligraphic style designed by the calligrapher Abu Ali ibn Muqlah
al haadhr	the present
al madhi	the past
al mustaqbil	the future
Alhambra	an Islamic development in Andalucian Spain that came to an end with the Christian reconquista in 1492, and is a very commonly perceived Western model of Islamic design
amaan	safety
amir	prince
amira	princess, or a woman’s head scarf, similar to a hijab, but used with an underscarf
’amm	public
’amuwd	the poles used to hold up a black tent
’aqd – pl. ’uquwd	contract
ardha	a traditional dance for two groups of men characterised by their chanting to each other while moving slowly with guns and swords to the accompaniment of drummers – see razeef to which it is similar
ardth	earth or land
arnab	desert hare
arrish	buildings constructed with pitched roofs of palm fronds
as’aaf	ambulance
a’sal	honey
asfar	yellow
asr	prayer in the mid-afternoon
assass	foundations or footings, also has the meaning of the basis
aswad	black
ataba	the threshold of a door
’atar	perfume
atiq	old
atnab	the guy ropes on traditional tents, usually made of hemp
awamid	columns
awasij	the plant, Lycium shawii
ayah – pl. ayaat	the verses that make up a sura of the Quran
’ayn – pl. ’ayyuwn	eye
’ayyin	small defensive holes in the wall of buildings through which rifles could be sighted
B
ba’ath	meaning, literally, re-birth, and the name of a political nationalistic, secular party established in Syria
baarid	cold
baazur	wrought iron, dome-headed nails used in the construction of heavy doors, face-fixed from the outside of the door through horizontal ledges and turned over to fix them
bab	door – pl. abwab
badawi – pl. badu	commonly, bedouin, meaning people who live in the desert
badgheer	natural ventilation system
ba’eed	far or far away
bahr	sea – note that the name, Bahrein, means ‘two seas’ and comes from the belief that the island and the surrounding salt water floated on a bed of sweet water – the Persian/Arabian Gulf – it being possible to find sweet water both under the land and the sea
bakra	hoist used over a well
balaat	tiles or paving
balad	town or country
baladiya	municipality
baraha	a majlis, or sitting area, outside the house and its compound
barasti	construction of palm fronds but, more commonly nowadays, temporary housing constructed of flattened out oil drums
bareed	post office
barnaamaj – pl. baraamij	programme or schedule
barr	land or country
barra	outside
bas	enough!
basjeel	a woven cane mat usually employed in the construction of suspended floors or roofs
bateel	a type of local sailing craft
batin	the inner aspect of self or a thing
batula	the mask worn by Gulf Arab women to preserve their privacy
bawabat al hawwa	wooden shutters used to close off the circulation of wind towers
bay’ah	an obligation upon, as well as a right for, every Muslim, man or woman; an oath of allegiance under Islam
bayt – pl. byoot	house
bayt khiaas	canvas tent, literally, a house of canvas
bayt shaabi	a Public house, given by right to any Qatari that needs housing
bayt sha’r	traditional Bedu tent, literally, a house of hair
beeb	pipe
bijanb	beside or next to
bilaad	country
benna	master builder
bidoon	without
bin	son (of)
bint	daughter (of)
bina’a	building
bi’r	well
bisht	loose robe worn by men, usually black or brown with embroidered gold trimming, heavier in winter. Sometimes known as a mishlah
boom – pl. abwam	large wooden, traditional boat with raking stem and stern, usually with a single, forward-raked mast
booma	owl – a symbol of bad luck
bukhur	generic word for incense
bukra	tomorrow – bad bukra – the day after tomrrow
burj – pl. abraaj	tower
burj al hawwa	wind tower
burj as-sa’a	clock tower
burq’a	the hood used to calm a hawk, an enveloping dress commonly worn by women in Afghanistan, and an alternative name for a batula
burtuqal	orange – fruit and colour
busa – pl. busat	inch – measurement
bustan	garden
C
chadur	a woman’s outer dress common to Iran, covering the body from head to foot
cubit	a measure of approximately half a metre – see the note at the foot of References .
D
daa’ira	ring, as in ring road
dafnah	an alternative name of the New District of Doha, deriving from the colloquial name for dug or made ground, more classically relating to graves
dahl – pl. duhul	geological feature – a hole in the ground where underground water has eroded the limestone causing the surface to fall in
dakhil	inside
dalalah – dalalaat	women who sold clothes and the like from door to door to the women of the household
dalu	bucket
danjal	timber beams
daqiqa – pl. daqa’q	minute (of time)
dar	house or home
darjat	staircase
darjat al haraara	degrees – literally, degrees of heat
darwaazah	a pair of main doors
dawla	state, as in Dawlat Qatar – State of Qatar
debesh	animals
deek	cock
della	coffee pot – usually the traditional pot
dhafaqat	internal wooden window shutters
dhanoun	Cistanche phelypaea – a parasitic desert plant
dhow	general name for traditional, timber Arab boats
dhubab	fog
dhuhr	afternoon
dibis	date syrup, a staple culinary ingredient used as a drink and as a sweetner, produced by pressing dates
dikka	a raised bench or seat, usually built along an external wall and forming a side or sides of a baraha – pr. ‘ditcher’
dirah	an area of land over which groups of people had grazing rights
diwan	entrance space to a large house or the office of a government institution or head of state
djin	devils or evil spirits
doha	marine bay
dowshek	low mattress with relatively hard stuffing on which people site or recline
dthabit	officer
dtha’eef	weak
dtha’eeq	narrow
dthahab	gold
dthabab	mist or fog
dthayf	guest
dthuhr	prayer at noon
dujarj	chicken
dukaan – pl. dukaakeen	shop
dukhan	smoke
du’un	timber window shutters
duwah	a low brazier on which charcoal is burned and kettles heated
duwnya	world
duwwar	defensive wall
dwar	roundabout
E
ems	yesterday
’enf	nose, or the vertical post on a double door
’eid	holiday, the most important being Eid Al Adtha
’eid mubarak	the exhortation congratulating a Muslim on the ’eid holiday
ezrak	blue
F
faas	axe
fajr	prayer at sunrise
fakh – pl. afkhakh	a bird trap made from goat or sheep horns
fan – pl. funuwn	art or science
fanous	lamp or lantern
fara	carpenter’s plane
farash	servant
fard salat	compulsory prayers, avoidance of which places the individual concerned outside Islam
farkhat al bab	the small door that is set into a larger door – usually a pair of doors – known as darwaazah
faroush	dead coral which comes in striated slabs
fasht	marine reef
fasl – pl. fusuwl	season – of the year
feriq	district of a town or city, usually associated with a particular family
fhamah ” faham	charcoal
fidha	silver
filla – pl. fillat	villa – an obvious loan word
filli	strips of woven goat hair which, sewn together, form the covering of a black tent
finjaan – pl. finajil	traditional Arabic coffee cup
finaa’	courtyard and the space immediately adjacent to the outside of a property wall
fiqh	Islamic jurisprudence which has a number of schools distinguished by geographical area: hanafi – the Indian sub-continent, West Africa and Egypt; maliki – north and west Africa; shafi – Malaysia and Indonesia; hanbali – the Arabian peninsula; and jaferi – Iran and Iraq.
firdaws	the highest level of paradise
fowk	above
fraym fet’ha al badgheer	a shutter which closes over a ventilation system to keep the rain from entering
funduq	hotel or guest house
fuqa	truffles, of which there are two main types: khalasi, which are black with a light pink flesh and zubaidi, dark cream with a cream coloured flesh
fuqaha	Islamic jurists
furkha	a wicket gate in an external door to a compound
furshat	paint brush
fustaan	a woman’s dress
G
garmoush	male saqr falcon
ghalat	mistake
ghali	expensive
ghaltan	wrong
ghanem	sheep
gharb	west
ghubar	dust
ghurbaal	a collection of twenty-five pearl sieves, each known as a tasah
ghurfa	room or a suspended floor in a building
ghurfat al-nome	bedroom or room for sleeping in
ghurfat al-sufra	dining room or room for eating in
ghutra	cotton square, folded diagonally, which men wear over their head – usually white in summer, heavier and checked in winter
girih	[not a word used in the Gulf] tiles which consist of sets of five contiguous polygons – a decagon, pentagon, diamond, bowtie, and hexagon – each with a unique decorative line pattern which, when joined together produce complex geometrical patterns
H
haatif	telephone
habl – pl. hibaal	rope
hadhar	people who have settled in a particular area, as opposed to badu q.v. who are transient
hadeed	iron, traditionally, wrought iron but now also used for steel
hadid ash shubeck	iron window bars
hadiqa	garden
hadith – pl. ahaadith	sayings or traditions – based on what he witnessed and approved – of the Prophet
hadith qudsi	hadiths in which the Prophet put in his own words what Allah said to him – not to be confused with the words of the Quran which are literal quotes of Allah
hajj	the pilgrimage made by muslims to Mecca
hajar	stone
hakuwma	government
halaal	anything that is permitted, in English usually relating to diet, but in Islam also relating to dress, speech and behaviour
halib	milk
halwa	beautiful, or a sweet
hamaam	washroom
hamam	pigeon
hanafi	the school of fiqh covering the Indian sub-continent, West Africa and Egypt
hanbali	the school of fiqh covering the Arabian peninsula.
haqq – pl. huquwq	truth or right
har	hot
haraam	forbidden – the opposite of halaal
harara	heat
haramlik	the private area of a house
harf	a letter of the alphabet
hariq	fire
hasa	stones
hasa bahri	literally, sea stones – see faroush
hassira	cane or rush matting
hashish	garden or grass
hawa’	air or weather
hawlaani	a badu riding saddle
hawan wa yad al-hawan	pestle and mortar used for the crushing of coffee beans
hawaya	the tall, vertical openings which form the entrances for the wind in a wind tower
hawdaj	a covered, tent-like camel saddle, generally used by women
hawsh	local name for a courtyard
hawaala	transfer or remit (of money)
henna or hiyna	a plant used to decorate the skin
hijab	a Muslim woman’s common head covering
hijrah	the name given to the exile, flight or move the Prophet made from Mecca to Medina in 622 AD, the result of his increasing disaffection with polytheism and the resultant merchants’ anger with his opposition and its effect on the pilgrims
hilaal	a crescent or new moon
hima	pre-Islamic protected reserve of land
himaar – hameer	donkey, and a mild term of abuse
hisaan	horse
hizam as suwr	the strengthened construction of the corner of a building
hayt	wall
hiyala	a majlis, or sitting area, outside the house and its compound
housh	the garden, yard or area around the house
hujra	a room or the lowest floor of a house
hurr	female saqr falcon
I
idhat	the waiting period of four months and ten days during which a woman may remain in her house to effect a reconciliation
ibriq	kettle
ifsah	yield! – traffic sign
iftah	open!
ihsan	perfection or excellence, related to the carrying out of prayer
ijma’	an aspect of Islamic law based on consensus
ijtihad	reasoning aimed at comprehending an issue of shari’a
ijtima’a	meeting
ilm	knowledge
imaam	a religious leader or teacher, and one who leads the salah
iqal – pl. uqul	a thick, doubled, black cord which sits on top of the qutra, holding it onto the head, and comes with or without a tail hanging down the back of the wearer
isha	the prayer at night
Islam	the religion of Muslims, literally – submission to God – from the root meaning ‘to surrender’
istihsan	a method of exercising personal opinion in order to avoid unfairness that might result from a literal application of law
istislah	a method of resolving complex problems whose answer can not be found in religious texts
iwan	a rectangular room, often vaulted, open on one side to a hall or, more often, an open forecourt
izmeel	chisel
J
jaama’a	university
jabal – pl. jibaal	hill
jadeed	new
jaferi	the school of fiqh covering Iran and Iraq
jaliboot – pl. jalabit	boat with vertical stem and transom stern
jamal	camel
jameel	beautiful
jannah – pl. jannaat	paradise – an abbreviation of jannaat ’adn – the Garden of Eden – the English word, paradise, from the Persian, pairi-daeza, meaning an enclosed space. The highest level of jannah is firdaws
janoob	south
jayb	pocket
jayyid	excellent or very good
jareeda	magazine or newspaper
jazeera	island
jibin – pl. ajbaan	cheese
jibs	lime, plaster, gypsum – usually used about modern internal plaster
jilaabah – pl. jilbaab	a woman’s loose fitting coat covering from the neck to the ground, usually closed with buttons or a zip
jiri – pl. jiryan	low lying depressions around which there is little planting but in which water collects during rainy seasons
jisr	a beam in trabeated construction, or a bridge
juma’a	Friday, or a mosque particularly used for Friday prayers
juss	lime mortar – usually referring to the traditional use of plaster, or stucco
juti	shoes
K
Ka’ba	a rectangular stone structure within the masjid al Haram in Mecca. It is the holiest place in Islam.
kaatib	scribe or clerk
kabeer	large
kaff	wrist decoration comprising a bracelet joined to finger rings – in Qatari dialect, pronounced chaff
kaffiyah	small cotton skull cap which sits directly on the head, ensuring the qutra won’t slip
kahf	cave
kahraba	electricty
kalb	dog
kanaar	the edible fruit of the ziziphus mauritiana tree
kandiri	merchants and water sellers who came with a donkey and water tank on a small cart – also kerosene sellers who sold the same way.
katheef	thick or dense
katheer	much or many
khaarij	outside
khaas	private or special
khail	horse
khaima	tent
khalas	enough, sufficient or stop
khalij	gulf, as in khalij al arabi – Arabian Gulf
khalil	little
khan	a resting place, inn or hotel, similar to a Persian ‘caravansarai’
khanjar	curved knife, worn in the belt in front of the stomach
khareef	autumn
kharuwj	exit
khashab	wood or timber
khat	handwriting or a drawn line
khateeb	the speaker at a mosque who delivers the khutbah on the Friday dhuhr prayers which may also be given by the imaam
khatr	danger
khazan al moi	water tank
khazana	cupboard
khazuwq	a pile, or can be used in impolite remarks
khazzan	public water storage facility
khilaal	the steel or wooden pins used to fix ruaq to the covering material of a black tent
khilafah	stewardship of the world
khimaar	a woman’s cape covering from the top of the head to the waist, fastened under the chin
khor	a sea inlet
khubz	bread
khudar	vegetables
khuff	a leather sock
khurj – pl. akhraaj	saddlebag
khula’a	divorce initiated by a woman
khutbah	sermon delivered at the Friday dhuhr prayers
kilim	flat woven rugs, mostly used from Persia or Iran, but also woven in many other areas
kitab – pl. kutub	book
Kitab fi ma yahtaj ilayh al-sani min al-amal al handasiyya	written by Abu al-Wafa (940-998) in Baghdad, this was a treatise on the use of straight edge and compass for artisans to create geometric patterns in buildings. Alternatively it might be an essay on their work, created for the enjoyment of intellectuals.
kohl	from kuh’ala – a black material used to line and beautify the eyes
kitr – pl. kitrat?	a small, double-ended boat used mainly for access between dhows and the shore
kufic	said to be the earliest form of Islamic calligraphic script
kumbar	hemp rope
kuwra	sphere or ball – also football
kursee	chair
L
lahm	meat, usually mutton
lakh	general term for guy ropes on a black tent
lughat	language
layl	night
laysh	why?
layt	light
lanj	launch (boat)
libbin	straw used as an admixture to mud bricks
lilbiy’a	for sale
liwan	covered terrace or hall
lowh	board – as in a board on a wall
lown	colour
lu’lu’	pearl
M
maa	not – see mush and mab below
maajil	private water system
ma’	with
mab	not, as in ‘mab zain’ – not good – coll.
mabkhar, mabakhir or madkhaan	incense burner – but midkhan more usual
mabna	building
machboos	a form of cooking whereby meat, anything from chicken to young camels, and including fish, is cooked with vegetables and spices in large pots
madhna	minaret. See also See also manara
madina – pl. mudun	city
madkhul	entrance
madrassa – madaaris	school, traditionally associated with a mosque
maghrab	prayer at sunset
maghsala	laundry
maha	common name for the Arabian oryx
mahal	place or location, also a collection of tents or an encampment
majari	drains
majdah – pl. majadih	bow drill
majdthaaf – pl. majaadthif	oar
majlis – pl. majaalis	sitting room, either internal or external, generally understood to be the room in which men of a household entertain their male friends – also the informal institution where family problems are aired and decisions made at a variety of scales within the society ranging from individual families through that of the qabila, to that of the Ruler
majlis al shura	literally, a consultative majlis or council
majmu’a	group or collection
makaan – pl. ’amaakin	a place
makhraj	the exit point from the throat or essential articulation of a letter
makhzan	shop or store
maksuwr	broken
maktab	office or desk
malah – pl. mlaal	bowl
maliki	the school of fiqh covering north and west Africa
mamnoo’a	forbidden
mamnoo’a dakhuwl	entrance forbidden
mamnoo’a al tadkheen	smoking forbidden
manara	the tower of a mosque from which the word ‘minaret’ is thought to be derived. See also madhna
manjur	percussion instrument used in tambouras, consisting of a skirt-like material to which is attached dried goats feet, and activated by shaking the hips rhythmically
manqa’	land within an area of jiri in which water settles
manqala	a board game consisting of two parallel rows of holes along which markers are moved – from the verb naqala – he moved. Also the name of the wrist cuff used by falconers to protect their arm.
manqalah	the wrist cuff used by falconers to protect their arm
manqrur	woven palm matting used in the construction of suspended floors
manzil	house, or a place to stay
maqataab	the ridge pole or beam used in some types of black tent
maqbara – pl. maqbarat	graveyard
marash	container from which rose water is sprinkled
maridh	ill or sick
markab	generic term for a ship or boat
markaz	a headquarters, centre or place devoted to a specific activity
markaz ashurta	police station
marub’a	square
maruwr	traffic
mashghuwl	busy or occupied
mashru’a	project
masjid – pl. musaajid	mosque – masjid al Qubaa’, the house the Prophet built in Medina in 622AD; musjid al Haram, Mecca, the holiest mosque in Islam; musjid al Nabawi, Medina, the second most holy mosque in Islam; musjid al Aqsa, Jerusalem, the third most holy mosque in Islam
maslaha	considerations which produce benefit or interest, or prevent harm
mastaba	bench or table
mastalki	the upwards facing side of a calligraphic stroke
mat’am	restaurant
mataar	airport
matar	rain
matbakh	kitchen
mat’haf	museum
mawjood	present, in the sense of it existing
mawqif – pl. mawaqif – sayaraat	car park
mawthafeen	staff
mazdm	the rear tent pole of a black tent
mazlaaj	a traditional wooden bolt used in securing wooden doors from the outside
mazra’a – pl. mazaar’a	farm
Mecca	or Makkah, the holiest city in Islam, containing the ka’ba towards which all Muslims turn in prayer
meen	who?
midkhan – pl. midakhn	incense burner
miftah	key
mighzal	drop spindle used for working goat and other hair into yarn
mihma	a long-handled spoon on which coffee is roasted in the preparation of traditional Arabic coffee
mihrab	feature in the wall or qibla of a mosque – usually a niche , arch or, in earlier times, a marker – indicating the direction of Mecca for prayer
mikhir	the front tent pole of a black tent
miknasa	sweeping brush
milaqat	spoon
milh	salt
min	from
min seen	from a long way away – literally, from China
min’a	jetty, port or harbour
minb’a sharb – pl. sanaabir myaa’ al-sharb	drinking fountain
minbar	pulpit in a mosque
minfakh – manafeekh	bellows used to blow air on a fire
mirzam	a projecting roof water spout, usually made from timber
mirzam a’amoudi	exposed vertical rainwater channel constructed in the body of the wall to lead water down a wall
misbah	prayer beads
mishat – mshoot	comb
mishlah	loose robe worn by men, usually black or brown with gold trimming, heavier in winter. More usually known as a bisht
mismaar – pl. misaamir	nail or a tent peg
mismaar hadeed	iron or steel nail
misnad – pl. masaanid	hard cushions used on the ground or upon a raised dikka for people to lean against
misnad al majdthaaf	rowlock – arranged in pairs they act as fulcrums for oars to power a rowing craft
mistah	an area of hard pan ground surrounding manqa’
miswaak	a piece of fibrous wood from the root of the arak tree – Salvadora persica L. – used to clean teeth and which is associated with prayer
mitraqa	hammer
mithkab	drill
mitr	measure or tape measure
mntharah – pl. manathr	mirror
mnya	well, all right
moi	water
moi warid	rose water – literally flower water
mu’allim	teacher
muadthin – pl. muadthneen	person who calls Muslims to pray at a masjid, traditionally from a madhna
mub	coll. not, as in mub zain – not good, i.e. bad. See also: mush
mubarrad	a shallow, wooden box into which roasted coffee beans are placed for them to cool down prior to their being crushed and added to water in the process of making coffee
mudabissa	a specialised room in some houses set aside for the storage of dates and production of date syrup, dibis. It is characterised by the channels for liquids to drain away to a collection pot
mudaaris	teacher
mudir	director of a government department or a private organisation
mufak baraghi	screwdriver
Mugharib	generally understood to be the Mediterranean littoral Arabic states of Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco
muhandess	general name for an engineer
muhandess ma’mari	architect
muhandess takhtiyt	planner
muharrik	fire engine
muhim	important
mukhtalif	different or mixed
mukab	the downwards facing side of a calligraphic stroke
munshar	saw
muntaqah	area, zone or neighbourhood
muqarnas	decoration in a stalactite or honeycomb form, usually in the area between the foot of a dome and its supporting walls
muqawwal	contractor
fet’ha al murakaba	defensive viewing holes in the walls of a building
murmar	marble
musalla	prayer hall, open prayer area or place to pray
musalla saidaat	Ladies prayer area
mush	coll. not, as in mush jayyid – not good, i.e. bad. See also mub which is the more Qatari of the two words
mushkil	difficult
mushrabiya	lattice screen, usually of turned or carved wood – also a house type in some parts of the Arab world having mushrabiya to the street and open windows on the other side giving light and ventilation to the house
muslim – pl. muslimeen	a follower of Islam
must’ajil	urgent
mustaqbil	the future
mustashar	an expert or advisor
mustashfa	hospital
mutawain	religious police of Saudi Arabia with broad powers for policing the shari’a
muwadhin	often transliterated as ‘muezzin’ – a servant of the masjid who calls the faithful to prayer
N
na’al	traditional open sandal
naady	club
naar	fire
nabq	the edible fruit of the zizphus spina-christi tree
nadhif	clean
nafl salat	voluntary prayers which may be offered in addition to fard, but not at sunrise, true noon or sunset
nahaar	daytime
nahlah – nahal	bee
nahr	river
na’in	a particular kind of Persian carpet, predominantly beige and of high quality
najjar	carpenter
najm – pl. najuwm	star
nakheel	palm tree
nakhuda	ship’s captain
namawzaj	shape, form or design
naqoush mefet’ha	carved plaster panels or plasterwork
naqoush suwr al bab	carved plaster panels or plasterwork around a door
naqsh	carved plaster panels or plasterwork
neel	the material used to give the distinctive finish to a batula
niqaab	a double- or triple-layered black veil worn by some women to mask their faces
niswan	women
nuwra	lime wash
nuhaas	copper
nusf	half – fraction
nuwr	light
Q
qa’a	a house type in some parts of the Arab world having a qa’a, or small covered central courtyard, and surrounding rooms
qabila – pl. qabaa’l	family group characterised by a common family name
qadeem	old
qadm – pl. aqdaam	foot – measurement
qahwa	coffee, traditionally made with coffee beans and cardamon, and served in small cups, poured from a della
qalam	pen
qal’at	fort
qalb	heart or centre
qalm	pen
qamees	shirt
qamr	moon, arch or crescent-shaped
qanas	falconry
qanat	underground channel for water with periodic vertical ventilation shafts, more commonly used in Iran
qanuwn	laws
qanuwn al binaa’	building regulations
qareeb	near
qaraar – pl. qaraaraat	decision
qasbah	fortified quarters or citadel of rulers – mostly in reference to Mugharib buildings
qasr	castle, fort or fortified structure
qata	an internal tent dividing wall constructed from woven strips sewn together
qataf	Limonium axillare – a desert plant
qatiya	low, head-height dividing wall
qatuba	a reinforcing strip that links the