Words in the list below start with the letters 'N' to 'R' and are listed in alphabetical order. The English word is followed by the root word in Arabic [xxx] and then the Arabic meaning. On the line below is the meaning in English.
If I needed help with the English definition I used: 'The Oxford English Reference Dictionary' ISBN: 0-19-860046-1
N
Nabob
A Muslim
official or governor under the mogul empire
Nacre
Mother of pearl from any shelled mollusc
Nadir
[na-zir as-sam-t'] opposite to the zenith
The part of the celestial sphere directly below the observer. The lowest point in one’s fortunes
Natron
[nat-run]
a mineral form of sodium salts found in dried lake bed
O
Oasis
Open sesame
[if-ta il sim sim-mah]
A means of acquiring or achieving what is normally unattainable (from the magic words used by Ali Baba in the Arabian nights)
Ottoman
utmani of Othman
Concerning the dynasty of Osman I
P
Pia mater
[al umm al ra-ki-kah] tender mother
The delicate innermost membrane enveloping the brain and spinal cord
Popinjay
[baba-ga]
A conceited person, historically a figure of a parrot on a pole as a mark to shoot at
Q
Qur'an
The Islamic holy book, also spelt Koran
R
Racket
[ra-ha] palm of the hand
A bat with a round or oval frame strung with nylon used in tennis squash, etc
Ramadan
possibly [ra-ma-da], be hot
The ninth month of the Muslim year, during which strict fasting is observed from sunrise to sunset
Realgar
[rehj al ghar] dust of the cave
A mineral of arsenic sulphide used as a pigment and in fireworks
Ream
[riz-ma] bundle
500 sheets of paper
Rebec
[rebab]
three stringed musical instrument played with a bow
Rigel
[ri-jil] foot
The seventh brightest star in the sky and the brightest in the constellation of Orion. It is a blue super giant nearly sixty thousand times as luminous as our sun
Rook
[rukh] original sense uncertain
Chess piece with its top in the shape of a battlement
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2 comments:
So that's where the Nattering Naysayers of Nabob come from! ;o)
;-)
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