Read The Sleeping Sands Online
Authors: Nat Edwards
Seyyid Kerim;
a Seyyid, or direct descendant of the Prophet, resident in Shuster, an open-minded individual with a love of Persian literature
Shefi’a Khan;
chief advisor, or vizier, to Mehemet Taki Khan
Sheikh Abu Dhaouk;
a powerful Arab chieftain of the Kalikat tribe
Sheikh Ahmed;
an Arab chieftain, son of the Mujelli
Sheikh Ali Mirza;
a wealthy Persian, resident at Douletabad
Sheikh Mahmoud;
chief of a small band of nomadic bandits in the vicinity of Kerak
Shimoth;
a Polish-born Jew, resident in Safed
Sir Charles Fellows;
traveller and archaeologist, a senior member of the Royal Geographical Society
Sir George Lackland;
a European, possibly of English descent, resident in Syria
Sir John Barrow;
permanent secretary to the Admiralty
Sir Stratford Canning;
diplomat and politician
William Layard;
an occasional agent of the Royal Geographical Society and uncle to Henry Layard
G
LOSSARY
B
ELOW IS A LIST OF SOME OF THE
T
URKISH
, Arab and Persian words used in the Sleeping Sands that are either not in common use in English, or else have a meaning in the story other than a more modern or familiar one.
arak;
strong liquor made from distilling wine or other fermented juices
Bashi Bozuk;
an irregular soldier in the Ottoman army, also a peacetime gendarme
bastinado;
punishment involving whipping of the soles of the feet
bourghoul;
a simple dish of cracked wheat mixed with melted butter
chapaw;
a Bakhtiari tribal raid
courbash;
a hippopotamus-hide whip
dragoman;
an interpreter and guide
Effendi;
a polite term of address
enderun;
the women’s or family quarters (literally, innermost)
Ferenghi;
a foreigner
ferrash;
a household servant (literally, one who spreads carpets), used to described a member of the personal militia of the Matamet
firman;
an official travel pass, sometimes including a requisition order for supplies
Frank;
a term generally used to describe non-Arabs, particularly Europeans (literally, Frenchman)
Ghûlam;
an officer of the Shah (literally, slave)
gourumsag;
Persian vernacular term for a thief or ruffian
kaleon;
a type of water pipe, popular in Persia (cf narguile)
lung;
in Bakhtiari traditional costume, a striped cloth worn twisted around a felt cap
mehmandar;
an official assigned as an escort
Muteselim;
a local governor
narguile;
a type of water pipe popular in the Ottoman Empire (cf kaleon)
Nizam;
a regular soldier in the Ottoman army
piastre;
a small Syrian coin, worth a little under 2½d
salwar;
a pair of loose trousers
serbáz;
a Persian soldier
seyyid;
a holy man claiming direct descent from the Prophet
tarbush;
a red felt cap, similar to a fez, worn alone or wrapped within a turban
toman;
a gold Persian coin, worth 10,000 dinars
yaghi;
in a state of rebellion against the Shah