Showing 101 to 200 of 424.
- DARISynonym of sorghum.
- DATEThe fruit of the date palm, Phoenix dactylifera, somewhat in the shape of an olive, containing a soft, sweet pulp and enclosing a hard kernel.
- DAWAHIslamic proselytism, particularly through preaching
- DAYANA rabbinic judge.
- DEENreligion; religiosity; the way of life of a pious Muslim
- DEENSreligion; religiosity; the way of life of a pious Muslim
- DESMANEither of two species, Desmana moschata or Galemys pyrenaicus, of aquatic or semiaquatic insectivore of the mole family, Talpidae, found in Europe.
- DHOWA traditional sailing vessel used along the coasts of Arabia, East Africa, and the Indian Ocean, generally having a single mast and a lateen sail.
- DOUARA camp or village of tents in a North African country.
- DRAGOMANAn interpreter, especially for the Arabic and Turkish languages.
- DUARA camp or village of tents in an Arabic country.
- DUKAA shop, store.
- DYBBUKA malicious possessing spirit, believed to be the dislocated soul of a dead person.
- EMIRA prince, commander or other leader or ruler in an Islamic nation.
- EPHODA priestly vestment, without sleeves, worn girdled at the waist.
- ERUVAn eruv chatzerot; ritual aggregation of properties that allows Jews observing traditional Shabbat rules to carry burdens across property lines.
- EXILARCHThe leader of the Jews of the Babylonian exile.
- EYALETA former administrative division or province of the Ottoman Empire.
- FAKIRA religious mendicant who owns no personal property.
- FANGAA traditional Portuguese dry measure, equal to about 50–75 liters at different places and times.
- FAQIRAlternative spelling of fakir.
- FENNECA small fox of the species Vulpes zerda, found in the Sahara (excluding the coast) and having distinctive oversized ears.
- FIQHJurisprudence in the Islamic law, shari'a.
- FIRMAMENTThe vault of the heavens, where the clouds, sun, moon, and stars can be seen; the heavens, the sky.
- FITNATemptation.
- FLESHPOTA place offering entertainment of a sensual or luxurious nature.
- GALOOTA clumsy or uncouth person.
- GALUTThe Jewish Diaspora (dispersion from Israel).
- GANEFA thief; a rascal or scoundrel.
- GARBLETo pick out such parts (of a text) as may serve a purpose not intended by the original author; to mutilate; to pervert.
- GAUZEA thin fabric with a loose, open weave.
- GAZEBOA belvedere, either a type of summer-house or a roofed, detached porch-like structure, usually in a yard, park or lawn.
- GENIEA jinn, a being descended from the jann, normally invisible to the human eye, but who may also appear in animal or human form.
- GERBILA member of one of several species of small, jumping, mouselike rodents of the subfamily Gerbillinae, native to Africa, India, and Southern Europe.
- GHAZALA poetic form mostly used for love poetry in Middle Eastern, South, and Central Asian poetry.
- GHAZIA Muslim warrior who fights in war against non-Muslims, especially one who has won renown as a martial champion; often used as a title.
- GHIBLIsirocco
- GHOULA demon said to feed on corpses.
- GILETA waistcoat worn by a man. A bodice worn by a woman similar to a man's waistcoat; also, a decorative panel at the front of such a bodice, or worn separately.
- GIMELThe third letter of the several Semitic alphabets (Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew, Syriac).
- GOLEMA humanoid creature made from clay, animated by magic.
- GOMERAlternative form of omer: a former Hebrew unit of dry volume equal to about 2.3 L or 2.1 quarts.
- GOYIMplural of goy
- HABOOBA violent duststorm or sandstorm in the deserts of Arabia, North Africa, India, or North America.
- HADITHAn eyewitness account of a saying or action of Muhammad or sometimes one of his companions not otherwise found in the Quran.
- HAFIZA Muslim who has memorized the whole Qur'an.
- HAIKA covering for the head and body worn by Arabs.
- HAKAMAn arbitrator.
- HAKIMA doctor, usually practicing traditional medicine.
- HALALAllowable, according to Muslim religious customs, to have or do.
- HALFASynonym of esparto (“North African grass”).
- HALLOUMIA traditional cheese from Cyprus, made from goat's and/or sheep's milk.
- HALVAA confection usually made from crushed sesame seeds and honey. It is a traditional dessert in South Asia, the Mediterranean and the Middle East.
- HAMADAA high, desert landscape from which most of the sand has been removed by wind erosion
- HAMALA porter in Turkey and nearby countries.
- HARAMA sin.
- HAREMThe private section of a Muslim household forbidden to male strangers.
- HARIRAA thickened, tomato-based North African soup, popular during Ramadan.
- HAVILDARAn noncommissioned officer rank in parts of India, later a specific military rank of the British Indian Army and of the modern armies of India and Pakistan, equivalent to sergeant.
- HAZARDA game of chance played with dice, usually for monetary stakes, popular mainly from 14th c. to 19th c.
- HEDERAn elementary school in which students are taught to read Hebrew texts.
- HEGIRAA journey taken to escape from danger; an exodus.
- HESPEDA eulogy.
- HIJABA traditional headscarf worn by Muslim women, covering the hair and neck.
- HOMERA former Hebrew unit of dry volume, about equal to 230 L or 6+⁄2 US bushels.
- HOURIA beautiful virgin girl supposed to dwell in Paradise for the enjoyment of the faithful.
- HOWDAHA seat, usually with a canopy, carried on the back of an elephant or camel.
- HUZOORA potentate; often used as a term of respect.
- IFRITA kind of djinn mentioned in the Qur'an.
- IFTARThe evening meal that breaks each day's fast during Ramadan, traditionally beginning with dates and water.
- IHRAMThe state of ritual purity and dedication of a Muslim hajj pilgrim to Mecca.
- IJTIHADThe process of Muslim jurists or scholars making a legal or scientific judgment by independent reasoning from the Qur'an and the Sunna; discretion.
- IMAMOne who leads the salat prayers in a mosque.
- IMARETAn Ottoman soup kitchen built between the fourteenth and nineteenth centuries, often part of a larger complex or waqf.
- INTIFADAAn insurrection; a usually violent attempt to take control of a government.
- JAMBIYAAn Arabian (especially Yemeni) dagger with a short curved blade that is worn on a belt.
- JARGOONA variety of zircon.
- JASMINEAny of several plants, of the genus Jasminum, mostly native to Asia, having fragrant white or yellow flowers.
- JAVELINAA peccary (Tayassuidae spp.), especially a collared peccary (Dicotyles tajacu).
- JAZERANTA coat of defense of Arab origin, made of small plates of metal sewn upon linen or similar, like a brigandine.
- JEBELA hill, a mountain .
- JEMADARA former rank in the British Indian Army, the lowest rank for a viceroy's commissioned officer.
- JERBOAAny of a number of species comprising the family Dipodidae, native to the deserts of Asia and northern Africa, being a small, jumping rodent with a long tufted tail, very small for
- JEREMIADA long speech or prose work that bitterly laments the state of society and its morals, and often contains a prophecy of its coming downfall.
- JEWELA precious or semi-precious stone; gem, gemstone.
- JIHADA holy war undertaken by Muslims.
- JIRDAny of various agricultural pest rodents of genus Meriones or rodents of certain species in the genera Sekeetamys, Brachiones, and sometimes Pachyuromys.
- JORUMA large vessel for drinking (usually alcoholic beverages).
- JUBILEEA special year of emancipation supposed to be observed every fifty years, when farming was temporarily stopped, certain houses and land which had been sold could be redeemed by the
- KADIAlternative spelling of qadi, Islamic judge, particularly in Ottoman contexts where they initially oversaw local administration as well as Islamic law.
- KAFIRA disbeliever, a denier: someone who rejects or disbelieves in Allah or the tenets of Islam; or more broadly any non-Muslim.
- KALAMSpeculative theology.
- KALAMSSpeculative theology.
- KALIThe prickly glasswort (Kali turgidum, syn. of Salsola kali).
- KANEHA Hebrew measure of length, equal to six cubits.
- KANTARA unit of weight used in Eastern Mediterranean countries, varying from place to place (44.93 kg in Egypt).
- KANZUA white or cream-coloured robe worn by men in the African Great Lakes region.
- KAPHThe eleventh letter of many Semitic alphabets/abjads (Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew, Syriac, Arabic and others).
- KASHRUTThe Jewish dietary laws, stating which foods are fit to eat.
- KEFFIYEHAn Iraqi headdress from the city of Kufa that is traditionally worn by some Arabs, also used as a scarf.