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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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 Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2008 2:02 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks Stephen... it sounds good. I'll put it on my book list.
As to the English word burka with all its inaccuracies in spelling and meaning, since on this board we are familiar with both the culture and the language, we ought to use proper transliteration and meaning.
Let the clueless use the English word...
It is like the use of the word "sheik" which is pronounced "sheeeek" as a homonym of "chic." It drives me crazy...  almost as much as the word "eye-rack." 
VS |
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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| Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2008 2:37 pm Post subject: Sheik it up, baby |
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Dear veiledsentiments,
What has always helped me with the pronunciation of "sheik" is recalling that there are "No great sheiks."
And I loved it back when the Oil Minister of Saudi was Sheik Yamani. Then,
I used to think:
Sheik Yamani-maker.
Regards,
John |
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007
Joined: 30 Oct 2006
Posts: 2684
Location: UK/Veteran of the Magic Kingdom
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| Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 9:47 am Post subject: |
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| I would have thought an Arabic speaker (?) like you would be a bit more accurate. My Arabic is rudimentary, but even I know that 'hijab' and 'abaya' are not at all synonymous. "Hijab" usually refers to a head cover, which can be any colour and style, whereas as we all know an 'abaya' is the long black garment worn by Gulf women. Not at all the same thing. |
Well, the literal Arabic meaning of the word Hijab is to veil, partition or place a barrier between something. This does not solely refer to clothing and does not exclusively address women.
The word "hijab" is also frequently used specifically to mean a headscarf worn by a Muslim woman. In this case, it most often refers to a square scarf which is folded diagonally and worn over the head to cover the hair, ears and throat, but not the face. The word used in the Qu'ran for a headscarf is "khimar", which might be better to use when referring to headscarves in general, as many people argue that this use of "hijab" is incorrect, and it can certainly lead to confusion.
For example in the magic kingdom they used the word Abaya, as you described , is the long black garment worn by Gulf women, whereas in North Africa or Egypt, they refer to it as Hijab.
| Quote: |
| It is like the use of the word "sheik" which is pronounced "sheeeek" as a homonym of "chic." |
So, Sheikha VS, which is the most appropriate English word to use for the word �sheikh�?
1. Sheikh (Sheikha for woman ),
2. Shaikh,
3. Shaykh
4. Cheikh,
5. Chaikh, or
6. Chaykh. |
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Never Ceased To Be Amazed
Joined: 22 Oct 2004
Posts: 3500
Location: Shhh...don't talk to me...I'm playin' dead...
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| Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 12:24 pm Post subject: |
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| veiledsentiments wrote: |
It is like the use of the word "sheik" which is pronounced "sheeeek" as a homonym of "chic." It drives me crazy... almost as much as the word "eye-rack."
VS |
MY personal pet peeve (and I KNOW that I'm about to upset a LOT of people who have fossilized the WRONG pronunciation!) is pronouncing "Karaoke" as "Carry-O-key" instead of the correct "KA-RAH (being sure to roll [not rill] the "R" as the Japanese "R" is kinda like a cross of the English "R" and "L") O-KAY...meaning "empty orchestra". God, I hate red-necks going out "Carry-Okeying" and making fools of themselves because they're sooo insecure about their ability to carry a tune...probably for a reason! 
Whew!!! That's my rant du jour...thanks for your patience folks! 
NCTBA |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 2:30 pm Post subject: |
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| 007 wrote: |
| For example in the magic kingdom they used the word Abaya, as you described , is the long black garment worn by Gulf women, whereas in North Africa or Egypt, they refer to it as Hijab. |
In my many years in Cairo, I only heard the word 'abaya' used for the black cloak which is only worn by the rural Egyptian women. 'Hijab' was always used to refer to their head covering - whichever style they had adopted.
VS |
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