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GLOSSARY
The online text is enhanced with an automatic pop-up glossary for italicised words. It is not necessary to click on italicized words or phrases; just scan with mouse and translation will pop up
Achiki achiki- my lover (f), achikati. Abda - Region of Safi on Atlantic coast Adou akil, khayr min sadeek jahil! - A wise enemy is better than a stupid friend. Ahlan, kayf el Hal- Hello, how are things. Aid Kabir - Feast of the Sacrifice of Abraham; commemorates the end of human sacrifice in Mesopotania. Takes place 70 days after the end of Ramadan. Akhouya, akhouya - my brother. Okhti, okhti (f) my sister. Aala-al'Din - Aladdin of the Thousand and One Nights. Alaykoum Salam - Peace be unto you also. Response to Salam Alaykoum peace be un to you. Allah ghafouroun raheem - God is forgiving. Al Fahl, al fahl - Stallion, the stallion, young male horse. Al-insan moussayer, wa taysa moukhayer - Man proposes, God disposes. Man makes plans, God changes them. Al zeen - beautiful one. Ahta jouka, ahta jouka - I need you. Ahta jouki (f) Anta majnoun - you're crazy Anta wallou - You're nothing, (dialect of Marrakech) Asilah - town on the Atlantic south of Tangier Assababa - obsessive love. As -Sabil - The way, the path, the technique, (magical). 'Foundation As-Sabil,' was created, as a non-profit philanthropic organization By Radouan and Pero in the year 2000. Asri - Modern A Zeen, a zeen - Hey beautiful, oh beautiful. Azizati, azizati - my respected beloved, azizi (m)
Babouches, babouches. - open backed Moroccan slippers Banou Hilal - Brothers of the moon - The R'hamna tribe is one of the three tribes comprising the Banou Hilal who migrated from the Hijaz to Egypt and on to Morocco during the 10th and 11th centuries. Their hoard consisted of 250 thousand mounted warriors, their wives and concubines, children and animals. Their stay in the new Fatimid city of Cairo caused a two year state of emergency. It is thought that the Banou Hillal was unleashed by the Abbasid Caliphs of Baghdad to destroy the heretical Shi'ite-Isma'ilite-Fatimid Dynasty which then ruled Egypt. But the clever Fatimids showed the Banou Hillal a map of Africa, said they owned it all and would give the Banou Hillal everything west of Libya in return for their leaving Cairo. They accepted, reached the gates of Fez five years later during the reign of the Idrissi sultans, and became major players in Moroccan tribal warfare and politics. Baraka - Divine favor, good luck... 'if you have it you don't need to think ahead because you are constantly in tune with God's plans, always in the right place at the right time. In any negotiation, or action, it is Baraka that brings success... It is a gift, a blessing, divine intervention... sometimes called LUCK. Baraka is a combination of physical strength, mental superiority and beauty: beauty attracts, the brain reasons, and physical strength wins the day. It is thought that this is one of the ways God reaches into the world. Having Baraka is a benediction. Some persons have more of it than others; some have none at all. marabouts generally have so much they can heal you. If you come from a family that has it, you are more likely to have it. Bismillah Ar- rahmani Arahim - The Prayer for the Deceased Beit Laaris - special niche for the bridegroom in hamam Beit Lararaysat - special niche for the bride in hamam. 'Bibti,bibti - short for Habibti Bidat, bidat - testicles or eggs. Bissara - bean soup. Bezzaf - too much, that's enough. Bizzari, bizzari - A commercially minded person, one who is always negotiating. B'khour - a mélange of aromatics to counter or ward off the effects of magic. Bled, bled - Countryside Boujaaran (fr) - cockroach. Boulmaraz - The main jail in Marrakech cited many times by the UN and Amnesty International as one of the worst prisons in the world. Bzou or Bzu - A town in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains famous for its sheer woolen fabrics, especially jalabas that weigh less than half a kilo.
Caid - Ruler. Cadi - Judge. Chaiir - Poet. Chajaa, chajaa - courage. Ch'dak J'mel - The Datura plant, literally 'the chin of the Camel'; because the seed pod of the Datura, with its spines, resembles a Camel's chin. A very dangerous poison, used throughout Asia, Africa, and Mexico. Chergui - A cyclonic storm from the East, from the Sahara. Up to two weeks of intense heat, humidity and sandstorms with high winds and no rain. Gherji - a pleasant breeze from the west, from the Atlantic. Cherif - A descendant of the Prophet Mohammed. In Morocco considered nobel blood. Chiba, chiba - Absinthe Chleuh - The language of the Berbers. Chokran, chokran - Thank you. Chorfa - A family descended from the Prophet Mohammed. Chouya - Little Couscous of Death - Recipe: Go to the cemetery on the dark night of the moon and find a fresh corpse. Position yourself behind the corpse, propping it up and use it's arms and hands to mix the Couscous. At death the poisons of the body go into the hands, and this poison will go into the Couscous. This is not a joke, it is used extensively in North Africa. Dar el Chems - House of the Sun Derb - A lane or small street, or a district with one entry. Djinn, djinn - plural of Djinni. In Marrakech djinn is used in both the singular and the plural sense. A Djiinn or Genie or Genies may inhabit or be trapped inside a body or manifest themselves externally. They may be good or bad, beneficial or malefic. In Africa the Middle East and Asia they are thought to cause what in the West is called Bi-polarity, Psychopathy, and Schizophrenia. Dot, dot - Bride price. In Islam the man pays the dowry Douiriya - women's quarters, a separate house connected to a Ryad often with its own courtyard and garden.
El Wahm taa el hawa - Dreaming about an imaginary or one-sided love. Also El Jawa - One fantasizes obsessively one is having a love affair but it is a broken dream. Al kamar, al kamar - The full moon. El khayal - Fantasy, imagination, also El wahm taa el hawa: combines the idea of fantasy or imagination with shadow and shade in its English usage as a ghost or something ghostlike or illusory El Kors - Shark. Escroc, escroc - Swindler, crook (fr) Essaouira - Ancient port on the Atlantic coast south of Casablanca. Originally a Phoenician trading post, 2000-1600 BC. The population is mainly Berber.
Fakih, Fik'h - A Teacher of Islamic studies, also an exorcist. Eng: Fakir. FANTASIA, fantazia - In Morocco a re-enactment of the days of mounted warriors. In America the analogy would be Buffalo Bill and his Cowboys and Indians. A Simulacrum, Disneyland. Fassi - a person from Fez Fatiha - The first Sura of the Qur'an Fazq, fazq - wet Fi moutan walihi, fi moutan walihi - Within his reach./ At his bidding F'TNA, Fitna, F'tna - Chaos
Gazelle - beautiful girl, species of desert deer. Gandoura - a loose one piece cotton garment, resembles a short sleeved nightshirt to the calves or ankles, worn in hot weather, usually fine cotton. Ghabi, ghabi - stupid. From Ghaba wa - stupidity (clsc Arabic.) Gheera, gheera - jealousy GHAZALI, (Abu Hamid Muhammad) of Tus, known as "The Proof of Islam", began as a Sufi and finally became an Imam of the Malikite persuasion and died in Tus in 1165 AD He is probably the most important Scholastic Theologian Islam has produced. Renouncing Philosophy, especially Aristotle, he embraced the Sufi way. At the same time, building on the jurisprudence of scholar Malik of Baghdad he created the Malikite school of Sharia or religious Law. Morocco is a Malikite state. Ghazali violently opposed his contemporary, the philosopher Ibn Rushd, (Averroes), who was trying to integrate Islamic thought with Aristotle, just as was Thomas Aquinas of the Christian Faith at the same historical moment. Accused of heresy, Averroes died in Marrakech in 1198 after twenty years of house arrest by one of the fundamentalist Almohad Sultans. And is said to be buried under the Sidi Bel Abbes Mosque, founded by his disciple Sidi Bel Abbes. Gnoua - A type of Trans music, and the musicians who make it. Originated in sub Saharan Africa, and came north with the slave trade from Tombocktou.
Haik, haik - A cloak which hides the body and face except the eyes. Habibi, habibi, - darling (m) Habibti, habibti, 'bibti - darling (f) Habus - Moslem charities. Haj - someone who has made the pilgrimage to Mecca. Hamdou' Allah, hamdou'Allah - Thanks to God. God's blessings on you. Hamam, hamam - A Moroccan steam bath. French: Bain Maure. Haoudaj, haoudaj - A structure attached to a camel's back to carry passengers, mainly women, usually curtained, sometimes lavishly decorated. Haram, haram - Religiously forbidden, heretical. Harka, harka - Procession or platoon of cavaliers. Hasab, hasab - Ancestral renown. Veneration of ancestors, tribal affiliations and lore Hasrafa, hasrafa - People who 'suck up', obsequiousness. Singular, Hasraf, hasraf. Dialect of Marrakech. H'bel Terbah - Make yourself stupid and you will be the winner. Hemq, hemq, hamak - Gone crazy, mad. H'mar, h'mar - Donkey, also - GO! Haouz - The region within a 60 km radius of Marrakech. Hijab, hijab - Veil. Houris, hourris - Angelic virgins of Paradise. Singular: Houraya, houraya.
Iatarafa, iaterafa - confess. Ichaa, ichaa - gossip, propaganda, a story that gets expanded and added on to. Ila al jahim, ila al jahim - So what? Go to Hell! Inch Allah - God Willing. Ishk, ishk - First desire, becoming obsessive. Isa - The Prophet Jesus.
Jibril, Jabreal - The angel, Gabriel, the most important of God's emissaries. Jahannam - Hell. Jannat - Paradise, Heaven. Jallaba, jallaba, Jalaba, jalaba, Jallabas, jallabas,Jalabas,jalabas - A long loose outer garment with a hood. Can be wool, silk or cotton. Jemaa el-Fna - The main square of Marrakech and present site of central underground jail. Literally The Square of the Dead where crucified corpses and severed heads of criminals and traitors were once exhibited - as they were in Britain, until the early 16th Century. Also known as Jemaa al Fanoun - Place of the Arts ( of medicine, story telling, poetry, drama, dance and acrobatics.) A World Heritage Site. Jihad, jihad - Religious defense, aggression, war or conquest - may also be sexual or magical. Jeeb liya rassi, jeeb liya rassi - Give me my pleasure. Jibril - The Angel Gabriel - most important of God's emissaries. Jouies, jouies - (fr. imperatif), have an orgasm. Come. K'hab, k'hab , les k'hab- the girls (prostitutes), sing: K'haba. Male prostitute, Zamel. Kabir, kabir - large, big, huge. Kafin, kafin - Burial shroud or wrapping - white linen, no stitching. Kafir, kafir - Non-Muslim. Khattem a Moulay, khattem, A ring my princely father, a ring. Kaid N'ssa, kaid n'ssa - Female power. Kalak - Anger. Kalb - A two 2 kilogram column of white sugar, in shape resembling a Hindu lingam, presented by the Groom to the prospective Bride on their first meeting. Kanoun, kanoun - Harp like stringed instrument held horizontally in the lap. Karoun - Arabic name for historical King Midas. Kasbah, kasbah - Castle. A fortified or formerly fortified complex of buildings. Kaous Kosah -Rainbow Kefta, kefta - Ground meat. Kadar - The voice of destiny. Khalili - My khalili... used between friends or lovers who feel physically and mentally entwined or entangled like two vines. Khanjar -A glass dagger, nowadays Teflon. Kharia, Kharya, kharia, kharya - bowl of shit. Khliha taamed ala nafssha - Let her rely on herself. Kif - The leaf and buds of the Cannabis plant. Kif al hal - How are you? Kilim - Carpet, (Berber). Ksar, ksar - Palace or very large house.
L'hascapa, Intikam h'sifa - Revenge. (sinq this with p345) Labas, labas - Fine, bon, tres bonn L'adoul - Moslem religious and legal functionary in charge of marriages. Once you meet with the L'adoul, and draw up the marriage contract, even though the union has not been sealed with a Wedding Party, you are legally married and can have intercourse. Marriage contracts deal with divorce, inheritances, and Testaments, and may be tailored to the needs and desires of the two partners and their families, example: whether the woman will be able to travel abroad, or by herself, or drive a car. etc etc. Labsouk al jarima - Some one wants me to wear another person's clothes (crime). Lakab kenia, lakab kenia - Nickname, literally: 'Something', Something other than Larache, The best pasture land in Morocco on the Atlantic ocean between Rabat and Asilah. La yhennik - May God grant you tranquillity. Laysa man samiaa ka man aacha. - He who has only heard ( or read) will never be like him who has experienced. Louat - A man who sexually prefers men to women. He may be single or married with three or four wives and a very large family. Loula, loula - tepid.
Mabrouk, mabrouk - Congratulations, Mach Allah - God's Will. Definitive, final, absolute. Example: 'The destruction of the city by earthquake was allah.'(Act of God). In many ways the Islamic God of Gods, Allah is closer to the Hindu Atman, or the Vedantic Absolute than to the Hebraic / Christian God who is far more anthropomorphic. Mohammed's transmission of the Absoluteness of Allah may very well have influenced the reforms carried out by the 8th Century Indian Saint Adi Sankaracharya within the context of Brahminical Hinduism. Maghreb al Aqsa - The farthest West, Hamara (red) Marra-k City ( the red city) Marrakech Mahboubi, mahboubi - my beloved. (fem) mahboubati. Mahboul, mahboul - Crazy, refers especially to Dementia of old age. Mahia, mahia - Aquavit. Maji - singular and plural. The process of Magic, or One who makes magic. 'Gifts of the Majis.(Biblical) - plural. Mage, singular. Majoun, majoun - a mixture of kif, honey, almonds and other spices, taken by the spoonful with tea. Long lasting effect. Can harm the kidneys. Majnoun, majnoun - Possesed. When Mohammed first started preaching to his tribe, The Quraysh, they thought he was Majnoun and wanted a sign that he was truly God's messenger. In disgust and fear for his life Mohammed left Mecca with several companions and journeyed to Medina where he established a considerable following. A few years later he returned and winning the battle of Badar in January 624 AD was the Sign. Against all odds Mohammed's small band of well trained religious warriors defeated an army sent by his own tribe the Quraysh - guardians of Mecca - Mohammed's own tribe who several years before had dismissed him as Majnoun. After the battle Mohammed entered Mecca and smashed all the idols, which then surrounded the Kabah or sacred house of Abraham. This victory of a monotheism which was neither Hebrew nor Christian resonated on the caravan routes and ships at sea and was the beginning of mass conversions of the Tribes to Mohammed's cause. Makayn Mouchkil - no problem. Makhtouf makhtouf- secretly taken away, kidnapped. Manchou faq al zeen - (fem) zweenti - let's do it, let's make love or sex...literally: 'I want to see you.' Mani - sperm, also the Biblical 'mana from heaven' Marabout, Marabouts, marabout, marabouts - from 'murabit,', meaning to tie, to bind, to shackle. Marabout is a French traduction. Originally Murabits were members of sects of ascetic religious warriors shackled in accordance with, or as an accessory, to God's will. Especially in Morocco, at one time Islam was considered to be like a transmission from Marabouts and Chorfas. What they did their thoughts, and behavior, were Islam. Later they came under the influence of Sufi missionaries from Baghdad, Damascus and Cairo and were deeply influenced by their traditions. A Ribat is a fortified sanctuary, a place of Murabits. Oulad Siyyid are the descendants of the male line of a Marabout. On his fathers side our anti-hero Radouan-Jannat is Oulad Siyyid. A Marabout, doesn't necessarily go to Mosque, and like Hindu and Buddhist ascetics, they are often considered to be above local customs or religious observances. Now, because of past persecutions a Marabout may often be hidden. He may be a mechanic. He might be the Wali of a city, an attendant in a hamam, a teacher, a businessman or a beggar - one never knows. Through his mothers family Radouan is said to be of the thirty-second generation of male descendants of a famous 7th Century Marabout from Sana in Yemen. The Seven Men of Marrakech who founded the city were Sufi marabouts: Sidi Bel Abes,(disciple of Averroes), Sidi Abdelazziz, Sidi Youssef ben Ali, Sebato Rijal, Imam Souhali and Sidi Slimane...' Masihis - Christians. Melhem - boss Mellah - Jewish Quarter. literally: the place of salting severed heads. Medina - The walled part of the city of Marrakech. Meuassine - Twelfth / Thirteenth century quarter of the Medina, not far from the Koutoubia Mosque and Minaret Min Fadlek, min fadlek - Please Mohbata, mohbata - Mentally demolished, (m), mohbat. Mokhtar - The chosen one. Motaraddid, mortaraddid , (fem),motaradda - prudish, hesitating, reluctant. Moucharabi, moucharabi - Latticework in wood or stone. Moujamala - Flattery. Moujoun, moujoun - Low life, louche. Muezin,Muezins, muezin,muezins Chanters who call believers to prayer five times a day. Musulman, musulman(fr) - A Moslem male. Murabit - See Marabout. Musk-leil - An aromatic night blooming plant with white gardenia-like blossoms. In India it is called, Queen of the Night. Mazar - Yearly pilgrimage to the shrine of this 13th Century Jewish Holy man.
Nahoui! zappi amer bil mani. - Hey there I want to come, my cock is filled up with mani (sperm). 'Nass el mouta fi rouda matou bi' alayn' - 'half the people in the graveyard died from spreading gossip.' N'gab, n'gab - Mouth covering vail or cloth.
Oheepouka, oheepouka - I like you. Oridouka, oridouka - I want you. Oulad Siyyid - Descendants of the male line of a Marabout. Oustania, oustania - Hot, but not the hottest room in hamam.
Qaid N'Ssa - The power to deceive, fight and defeat, usually associated with female power - which is also central in Indo-Buddhist traditions- the Goddesses, Kali, Durga and Kapalini, to name a few. Qur'an - (Eng) Koran - God's word as transmitted to Mohammed - literally a text to be said aloud or chanted, not written down. The Qur'an was not codified before about 880 AD, 150 years after Mohammed's death at the beginning of the reign of the Abbasid Caliphs in Baghdad, especially the great patron Haroun Al Rachid. Philologists collected from various sources and put together The Suras, which had been written down on scraps of parchment, palm leaves and stones as God spoke through Mohammed.
Ras el Hanut - Special mixture of over thirty spices. Reshwa, reshwa - A bribe, corruption. Ribat - A fortified sanctuary. Riad or Ryad or Riyad - A large traditional mansion within the Medina with its own private grounds, gardens and courtyards, separate quarters for men and for women a separate establishment called a Douiriya. also the prefix of an arondisment or quarter of the Medina. Ricine -A poison made from Castor Beans which grow wild through out most of the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world - made potent by grinding in a mortar with a pestle for several days. Ricine kills quickly by contact with skin. Used widely from SE Asia to Morocco, Mexico and Central and South America it was the substance used in the famous poisonous cloaks given as gifts to victims - recorded use by Byzantine Emperors, in Renaissance England, and most recently by the KBG in Russia. Riad Zitoun Jdid. - A major street in the Medina, also the surrounding quarter and Prefecture, near the Bahia Palace. Literally: the place of the old olive trees. Raad, raad - Lighting bolt with thunder. Radouan-Jannat - from Reda, (Eternity, Approval, Obedience to God). Jannat, (Paradise.) So Radouan-Jannat is Eternal Paradise pending approval from God for your obedience to His will. Radouan- Jannat ibn Ibrahim ibn Abbas ibn Hassan al Uld Billah, Radouan-Jannat son of Ibrahim son of Abbas son of Hassan of the lineage of Uld Billah. Rahma, rahma - Compassion: probably from RA a proto-Semetic Egyptian God; perhaps the origin of the ancient Indian Hero God Rama, the personification of Compassion. Ramadan - A twenty-eight to twenty-nine day period of fasting from dawn to sunset which occurs every year and begins according to lunar precession nine days earlier each year. Reshwa - A bribe. R'hamna - One of the Arab tribes of the Banu Hilal who probably entered Morocco in the early 10th Century. They colonized Mauritania and five hundred years later were called north to defend the country against foreign invaders. The last chieftain of the tribe, Al Ayadi, was the only Arab of the four Caids chosen to rule the South by the French during their brief occupation of Morocco. The other three were the Berber chiefs Gandhafi, M'Tugi and the glamorous and very dangerous Thami Glaoui who ruled Marrakech from the nineteen twenties until his death in 1956. On that day, about three hundred and fifty of his supporters and associates were rounded up and burned alive outside Bab Dukala near the present central bus station. ( Eye witness accounts.) Ronda - A Moroccan card game from Andalusia played with a special deck of 40 cards by two to four players - a memory game of numbers and suits, not unlike some aspects of Bridge, and Poker.
Sabah el kheir - Good morning. Safi, safi - Okay, good, enough - also a seaport on the Atlantic coast. Saharoui, saharoui - someone from the Sahara Salaam Alaykoum - Alaykoum Salaam. 'Labas - Hamdu'Lah.'- Traditional greetings and replies. Sale (New Sallee) - A famous fortified Moroccan sea port Founded by the Hornachero tribe on the north side of the estuary of the Bou Reg Reg river just north of Rabat. By the 18th Century it had become a virtually independent city state. In 1610, Phillip the III of Spain completed the expulsion of Moslems that began in 1492 with Ferdinand and Isabella. Among the refugees fleeing south into Morocco were four thousand men and women called Hornacheros, so named for the Andalusian village from which they came. Settling in Rabat, which was then in ruin, they rebuilt the Kasbah there and harboring a deep resentment for what had happened to them in Spain became holy warriors, made alliances with pirates in Algeria and Tunis and began preying on European and American shipping in the Atlantic; staging raids on sea-coast villages in Spain, Portugal, France, and England in which they captured, men, women and children and brought them back to Sale to be sold as slaves. It is estimated that during the 17th and 18th Centuries the Sale Rovers, or Corsairs as they were later called, played a prominent role in the abduction of over a million white slaves, to the Maghreb. Sadique, sadique - (fr) Sadistic. Sadiqi - My friend. Sa'dyian, Saadyin - One of the last Berber dynasties of Morocco headquartered in Marrakech. Saba, Saiba - The Biblical kingdom of the Queen of Sheba. S'khouna, s'khouna - The hottest room in the Hamam. Sella maktouaa - you are being sent in a torn (leaking) bag - American English slang: 'railroaded'. SHAITAN, Shaitan, Shaytan - Satan, devil Sharia, Shariyya - Moslem law - in Morocco generally of the Malikite school of jurisprudence, from Malik ibn Annas a 9th Century Hanafite - Shi'ite jurist of Baghdad - Of the four divisions of Moslem Law, it is probably the most conservative. Shaykh, Cheikh - A religious leader and/or teacher. Sidi Bel Abbes - A Mosque and theTomb of Sidi Bel Abbes, one of the seven men who founded Marrakech, a disciple of the philosopher Ibn Rushd, (Averroes). Who may also be buried there but whose body was probably moved to Cadiz, his birth place, some time during the 14th century. Sidi Kouki - The tomb of, and village on the Atlantic coast named after the Sufi saint Sidi Kouki - considered one of the great wind-surfing beaches of the world. Sidi Mahjoub Soussi - Father Time. Sidi Maklouf - Saint of R'hamna tribe. Sihalhem or Silham, sihalhem, silham - Burnous - often worn over a jalaba. Soukhrya, soukhrya - Supreme irony. Souk, souk, Souks, souks. The commercial center of a town or city. Souss - The lands South of the Atlas Mountains - fom Agadir and Taroudant; South and East.
Tafilalet - South of the Atlas mountains from Fez - the oasis homeland of the Alouite, family, descendants of the Prophet Mohamed who migrated here from the East in the 9th century and since the late 17th century have been the ruling dynasty of Morocco. Tafililat was built on the ruins of the fabled trading city of Sijilmasa, main northern terminus of Saharan trade, which, in the 5th and 6th centuries, rivaled Rome in size and importance. Tadelakt - A traditional wall polishing process.
Tkhalet - A mélange of six fresh herbs used in a special Moroccan tea: Abda (mint from Abda); Salima (sage); Aquatque (Penny Royal); Flio (Menthe Pouliot); Chiba (Absinthe) and Mardouch (Marjolaine)
Tal'bsouk al jarima - Someone wants me to wear another person's clothes. (Meaning: the crime of another.) Tajine, tajine - traditional Moroccan dish. Tat'labbas lia touhma - leave me holding the bag - leave me the object of a accusations. Tina, tina - Vagina Tijari - a game of cards resembling Rummy. Taroudant - A famous forbidden city in the South East foothills of the Atlas Mountains. Tina - Vagina. Toppa - rat. Uld Billah - Caid of the R'hamna tribe. Born 1829, died 1889. Last great Warrior Chieftain and Resistance fighter of the R'hamna before the French occupation. In 1859 he revolted against the ineffective rule of Sultan Mohammed IV but was taken prisoner until 1873 when he was released and the R'hamna were attacked by the forces of the new young Sultan Abdul Aziz, led by his Wazzier Ba Hamad who nearly exterminated the tribe. During the French Protectorate beginning in 1906 the R'hamna were ruled by a collaborator who squandered a fortune in land and mineral rights and destituted his tribe. Umayyad, Umayyads. The Arab Dynasty at Damascus which followed the period of the Orthodox Califs after the death of Ali. Defeated by the Abbasids in 750 AD, the surviving Umayyad fled to Spain where they ruled for the next 300 years over the most advanced culture of the age laying the foundations for the European Renaissance through the translation from Greek to Arabic and in to Latin of Classical Literature, Philosphy, Mathematics and Medicine. Umm Kalthoum - Egyptian singer, considered my many to be the greatest voice of the 20th Century with a range from Billie Holliday to Maria Callas.
Wadi, wadi - River or stream. A Wadi may be dry. Wakha - Yes. Wakha Sidi, wakha sidi -Yes sir! Wakil am - Public Prosecutor. Wakil al Malik - Voice of the King - Chief Justice or Cadi of a Court. Wazzier - Advisor.
Yaoum Azyara, yaoum azyara - The day of the week your family can see you in jail.
Zagora - A town facing the Sahara Desert at the extreme southern end of the Dra River Oasis. Zahp, zahp - Penis, also Zip, Zep Zap and Zappi. Zaki - Head of a family Zaouia - A religious order that forms around a Marabout - literally: a group gathered around a teacher in a corner of a mosque from, Arabic ( in the corner). These study groups often become militant religious movements which were called Tariqa in the Berber language. Zouk, zouk - Ass, buttocks. Zouk zween, ouridoo nahoui, zappi amer bil mani?' -'You have a beautiful ass, you want my cock, it's full up.' Zween, zeen - beautiful (masc) Zweenti, zeenti - beautiful (feminine). Z'waj lila, tadbjrou aam - Before you get married, think for a year!
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