T. M. Johnstone: Mehri lexicon and English–Mehri word-list, with index of the English definitions in the Jibbāli lexicon, compiled by G. Rex Smith, lxxi, 676pp. London: School of Oriental and African Studies, 1987. £20.
“…The Yemeni tribal term al‐matīʿ is another example; it describes a protected guest, someone who has shared food ( matāʿ ) with certain people (al‐Jabalī, 2019, III: 161; Piamenta, 1990–1991, p. 459), compare Sabaic mtʿt ‘protection’ (Beeston et al, 1982, p. 88; Sabaweb s.r. MTʿ ) and Mehri hәmtε ‘to help someone to get clean away’ (Johnstone, 1987, p. 273). This can also be supported by the many observations made by Serjeant, such as qirdāʿ ‘food’, madʿā ‘food’ and the manṣab providing a communal meal for his people.…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…The description provided by al‐Jāḥiẓ shows clearly that this term was originally used to refer to a type of allied peoples who practiced fire alliance, as noted by Ibn Fāris(1979, V: 299–300), among others. Landberg (1920, p. 495) documented miḥmāš in Dathīna (southern Yemen) as ‘bâtonnet, pelle ou fourgon avec lequel on attise le feu’ (a stick, a shovel that one stirs the fire with), compare Mehri mәḥāś , Jibbali maḥáś and Soqotri móḥaś ‘to wipe’ (Johnstone, 1981, p. 170, 1987, p. 263; Leslau, 1938, p. 241). Also, I came across a local poetic verse that has ḥamaš ‘stirs fire’ (al‐Saʿīdī, 2005, p. 33): millā nrà al‐mkrīb b‐nnār āštaʿal mā‐ʿad drīnā min ḥamaš mkrībhā We see nothing but the hearth ignited with firewe do not know who stirred its fire up.…”
Section: Yemeni Terms For Tribal Protectionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…11, 2: 33), Sabaic nṣb ‘set up, place a monument’ and mnṣbt ‘pillar’ (Beeston et al, 1982, p. 99; Sabaweb s.r. NṢB ), while the Yemeni tribal title manṣab means ‘noble, aristocrat, chief’ (Piamenta, 1990–1991, p. 487) and Mehri has mәnṣāb as ‘judge (not a qāḍi )’ (Johnstone, 1987, p. 300). The manṣab is the guardian of the saint's shrine who provides visitors with a communal meal during the ziyāra (annual pilgrimage).…”
Section: Yemeni Terms For Tribal Protectionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Yet, there is a secondary function of this root: waṯṯan fulān ‘so‐and‐so has done a waṯan action’ means that someone joined another tribe (al‐Jabalī, 2019, III: 268). Hence, we have the term tawṯīn meaning ‘oath or pledge’ and Mehri awōtәn and Jibbali ōtәn ‘to warn, to threaten’ (Johnstone, 1981, p. 294, 1987, pp. 433–434) as a semantic development.…”
Section: Yemeni Terms For Tribal Protectionmentioning
This paper reflects on some Arabic terms, previously noted by scholars, of small‐scale monument types, which have a symbolic and semantic conflation of ‘cooking fire’ and ‘permanent occupation’, such as raḍfa, jamara, ʾaṯfiya and rabaʿa. The paper discusses more terms that confirm this conflation and widen it to include the concept of tribal protection, as a parallel with the pre‐Islamic practice of the ‘fire of alliance’, described by classical Muslim writers and alluded to in Ancient South Arabian inscriptions. The association of fire terminology with tribal protection concepts appears to be related to the idea of food‐sharing alliances.
“…The Yemeni tribal term al‐matīʿ is another example; it describes a protected guest, someone who has shared food ( matāʿ ) with certain people (al‐Jabalī, 2019, III: 161; Piamenta, 1990–1991, p. 459), compare Sabaic mtʿt ‘protection’ (Beeston et al, 1982, p. 88; Sabaweb s.r. MTʿ ) and Mehri hәmtε ‘to help someone to get clean away’ (Johnstone, 1987, p. 273). This can also be supported by the many observations made by Serjeant, such as qirdāʿ ‘food’, madʿā ‘food’ and the manṣab providing a communal meal for his people.…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…The description provided by al‐Jāḥiẓ shows clearly that this term was originally used to refer to a type of allied peoples who practiced fire alliance, as noted by Ibn Fāris(1979, V: 299–300), among others. Landberg (1920, p. 495) documented miḥmāš in Dathīna (southern Yemen) as ‘bâtonnet, pelle ou fourgon avec lequel on attise le feu’ (a stick, a shovel that one stirs the fire with), compare Mehri mәḥāś , Jibbali maḥáś and Soqotri móḥaś ‘to wipe’ (Johnstone, 1981, p. 170, 1987, p. 263; Leslau, 1938, p. 241). Also, I came across a local poetic verse that has ḥamaš ‘stirs fire’ (al‐Saʿīdī, 2005, p. 33): millā nrà al‐mkrīb b‐nnār āštaʿal mā‐ʿad drīnā min ḥamaš mkrībhā We see nothing but the hearth ignited with firewe do not know who stirred its fire up.…”
Section: Yemeni Terms For Tribal Protectionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…11, 2: 33), Sabaic nṣb ‘set up, place a monument’ and mnṣbt ‘pillar’ (Beeston et al, 1982, p. 99; Sabaweb s.r. NṢB ), while the Yemeni tribal title manṣab means ‘noble, aristocrat, chief’ (Piamenta, 1990–1991, p. 487) and Mehri has mәnṣāb as ‘judge (not a qāḍi )’ (Johnstone, 1987, p. 300). The manṣab is the guardian of the saint's shrine who provides visitors with a communal meal during the ziyāra (annual pilgrimage).…”
Section: Yemeni Terms For Tribal Protectionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Yet, there is a secondary function of this root: waṯṯan fulān ‘so‐and‐so has done a waṯan action’ means that someone joined another tribe (al‐Jabalī, 2019, III: 268). Hence, we have the term tawṯīn meaning ‘oath or pledge’ and Mehri awōtәn and Jibbali ōtәn ‘to warn, to threaten’ (Johnstone, 1981, p. 294, 1987, pp. 433–434) as a semantic development.…”
Section: Yemeni Terms For Tribal Protectionmentioning
This paper reflects on some Arabic terms, previously noted by scholars, of small‐scale monument types, which have a symbolic and semantic conflation of ‘cooking fire’ and ‘permanent occupation’, such as raḍfa, jamara, ʾaṯfiya and rabaʿa. The paper discusses more terms that confirm this conflation and widen it to include the concept of tribal protection, as a parallel with the pre‐Islamic practice of the ‘fire of alliance’, described by classical Muslim writers and alluded to in Ancient South Arabian inscriptions. The association of fire terminology with tribal protection concepts appears to be related to the idea of food‐sharing alliances.
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