Midani dictionary

A list of words and phrases in Midani, the primary language spoken in Zakhara.

A

 * aba : a loose robe
 * afwan : (AHF-wahn) you're welcome
 * ajami : (ah-ja-me) non-native inhabitant of Zakhara
 * akh : a brother
 * akeud : a blood oath
 * akuua : a promise
 * al : definite article: the, of the; the house of, the tribe of
 * Al-Badia : (al-bah-dee-ah) desert nomdads
 * Al-Hadhar : (al-had-har) urban inhabitants
 * 'ali : high
 * alim : (ah-leem) an educated person
 * allag : a temporary truce
 * amarat : a curved horn
 * 'amiq : deep
 * amir : (variant, emir) a ruler
 * anf : nose
 * anjar : grapple-like anchor
 * ard : land, territory
 * 'arif : to know
 * assad : (Uloushinn dialect, asad) a lion
 * asan : a (temporary) shelter
 * 'atshan : thirsty
 * 'ayn : a spring of water
 * aywa : (EYE-wah) yes
 * aziir : a scimitar
 * aziirla : a killing, a murder
 * 'azim : great, powerful

B

 * ba'id : far away
 * bahriyin : seamen
 * baksheesh : (bak-sheesh) a tip or bribe
 * baladi : (bah-lah-DEE)large
 * balanj : cabin in a ship
 * bananiyah : sailors
 * bandar : a port
 * barchan : a sand dune shaped like a crescent
 * bardan : cold
 * bawara : heavy ship anchor
 * bazan : (ba-zahn) fire or flames
 * berrani : a stranger
 * burj : (burge) a tower
 * buzuq : (buh-ZOOQ) an instrument similar to a lute

C

 * casbah : a stronghold or castle

D

 * daff : (DAHF) a small tambourine
 * daftar : sailing instructions, used in place of a chart
 * da'i : (die) a missionary or minister, also used as a term for an assassin officer
 * dalil : a guide
 * daqal : a ship's mast
 * daraq : a small shield
 * darbukkah : (dar-BOOK-kah) a vase-shaped drum
 * daroga : a police magistrate
 * dhabb : a large desert lizard
 * dhow : a ship of Zakharan origin
 * didban : the lookout on a ship
 * dinar : (dinar) coin equal to 1 gold piece
 * dirah : territory of a desert tribe
 * dirham : coin equal to 1 silver piece
 * diwan : (di-wahn) the court of a ruler or council, a place of audience
 * diyya : compensation paid to a family when one of their members are wrongfully slain
 * dusur : caulking for a ship's hull

E

 * effendi : a master
 * Es salam alekum. : (ess sah-LAMB ah-LEH-koom) Peace be upon you. (a general greeting)

F

 * faddi : silver
 * fidai : (pl, fedayeen) one who sacrificed him- or herself for a cause, a brave warrior

G

 * gared-guur : Uloushinn dialect: "slayer from the skies"; manticore
 * gassi : rocky path between two sand dunes
 * gizam : Uloushinn dialect: boots

H

 * hababa : a hammock made from the skin of a sheep. The skin was stretched over four poles of wood and was meant for children
 * habl : rope, tether
 * hagar motab : Uloushinn dialect: "bringer of stone-death"; a basilisk
 * hama : spirit
 * hammam : public bath
 * harab : wild wastes
 * haram : a holy site
 * harim : female quarters
 * harrat : field of volcanic debris
 * hatar : (hah-TAR) danger
 * hazneh : treasury
 * hidna : a cessation of war
 * huriye : a young man or woman of voluptuous beauty

I

 * imam : a leader of a church, or holy man
 * ins : one of the Enlightened races, a non-genie
 * ishtiyam : the navigator of a ship

J

 * jabal : a mountain or peak
 * jahlah : (jah-LAH) a small clay pot filled with stones used as a rattle
 * jalla : camel dung
 * jama : pulley block
 * jambiya : curved double-edged dagger
 * jari : courageous
 * jawzah : (jauh-ZAH) a spiked fiddle
 * jazirat : island
 * jellaba : heavy winter robe or night cloak
 * jinn : a term for any type of genie
 * jummah : hold of a ship

K

 * kalb : dog
 * kalian : a smoking pipe
 * kamal : simple tool for navigation
 * kashabat : watch tower made from simple scaffolding
 * katar : short punch dagger
 * kavir : salt or mud flat
 * keffiyeh : headcloth
 * khabb : a gale or typhoon
 * khamsin : destructive wind storm made of hot air
 * khann : a compass point
 * khayt : stitch in the hull of a ship
 * khon khors : a dao title for blood-drinkers
 * khreima : a tent
 * kizzil bash : someone with red hair
 * koumiss : fermented mare's milk
 * kwayis : (KWAY-iss) good

L

 * la : (LAH) no
 * lasiq : beginner, one lacking experience (Assassins used this term for their lowest ranking members.)

M

 * ma : (MAH) water
 * Maas salama. :(mahs sah-LAMB-ah) Go with peace.
 * madina : the market or center of a town
 * madra : a school
 * manjus : a scoundrel or swindler
 * maristan : a hospital
 * mat : to die
 * mehari : a racing camel
 * mihrab : a prayer niche within a mosque
 * mijayrah : (mih-JAY-rah) a recorder
 * minbar : a pulpit
 * min fadlak : (min FAHD-lahk) please
 * mirwas : (MEER-waz) a small double-sided drum used by the pearl fishermen of the Pearl Cities
 * mish : (mish) not (Mish negates whatever adjective it precedes.)
 * mish kwayis : (mish KWAY iss) bad
 * mizwid: food pouch; also name of the Zakharan bagpipes
 * mitbiq : (miht-BEEQ) a double clarinet
 * mizwid : (mihz-WEED) a Zakharan bagpipe
 * mot : death
 * mulahid : agnostic or blasphemous, non-enlightened

N

 * na'al : a horseshoe
 * nabat : a plant
 * nabidh : an intoxicating drink made from fermented dates
 * nafir : (nah-FEER) a long trumpet
 * nargil : a coconut
 * naqqarah : (nah-KAR-rah) a side drum
 * nay : (NAY) a flute
 * nidir : a vow
 * niga : a declaration of hostility
 * nisr : an eagle

O

 * oyun : eye

P

 * purdah : (Uloushinn dialect) a "honeymoon", a period of time following a Bedine wedding during which a bride was forbidden to leave her husband's tent

Q

 * qadi : a judge
 * qahwa : (Uloushinn dialect, qaw) coffee
 * qal'at : fortress; a fortified keep, manor, or palace.
 * qanun : (qah-NOON) an instrument similar to a zither
 * qara'a : a barren field of weeds suitable for grazing
 * qaraqib : (kah-rah-KEEB)small metal clackers
 * qas'ah : (KAH-sah)kettle drums
 * qatil : (pl, quttal) an assassin
 * Qaynat : the harim of the fourth Grand Caliph
 * qinbar : coir, coconut fiber. Cordage for making ropes.

R

 * rababah : (rah-BAH-bah) a popular stringed instrument
 * rakiq : a beverage made from sheep's milk and garlic known for its tang
 * raqsa : a dancer
 * reikh'irud : Uloushinn dialect: tarantula
 * rafiq : any form of comrade
 * rih : wind
 * rihba'id : tent fly (literally, "wind-away")
 * riqq : (REEK) a tambourine
 * ruqad : sleep

S

 * saheeda : (sah-EE-da) greetings, hello, goodbye
 * sajat : (sah-JAHT)finger tambourines
 * saji : to be brave
 * saka : water-bearer
 * samm : (SAHM) poison
 * santur : (SAHN-toor) a hammer dulcimer
 * sarahin : a den of wolves
 * selama : a harem of attractive men
 * shef : a sword (other than a scimitar)
 * shukran :(SHOOK-rahn) thank you
 * shurr : loose sand
 * sufinah : ship
 * sukhteh : burnt
 * suq : marketplace

T

 * tabaddur : foresight
 * tabl : (TAB-leh) a small double-sided drum
 * tahrik min qad : (tah-REEK min kahd) Zakharan legend telling of a holy warrior's redemption after their downfall
 * takht : platform or group of rawunin
 * taqiyya : a doctrine of caution, used by believers to justify concealment of their beliefs that other object to
 * tarab : enchantment
 * tarkib al-azam : skeleton
 * tatalla : eye
 * tawa'if : a guild for musicians
 * thurgur : military zone of the efreet
 * tir : a bird

U

 * 'Ud : (OOD) an instrument similar to a lute
 * ulugarr : Uloushinn dialect: outlander

W

 * Wa alekum es salam : (wah ah-LEH-koom ess sah-LAMB) Peace be upon you also. (response to the greeting Es salam alekum.)
 * wadi : seasonal or dry riverbed

Y

 * yadd : hand
 * ybbah! : Oh, papa! (an expression of surprise)
 * ymmah! : Oh, mama! (an expression of surprise)

Z

 * zardkhanah : an arsenal or storage of weapons

Background
Midani words and expressions were mostly derived from a simplified transliteration of Arabic.