Glossary for the Novel

Confused about a term which appears in the novel? Here is a useful list of foreign terms compiled by translator Liv Bliss.

Notes:

Some of these terms had a different meaning outside the world of the novel and others have changed their meaning over time.
Transliteration (the rendition of one language’s script in the script of another) and the conversion of one language’s pronunciation system into one accessible to another language are not exact sciences; several of the terms below will appear differently elsewhere.

aba	shawl-style cape
berid	the caliphate’s messenger/postal service, which also served as its intelligence network
caravan-bashi	leader of a caravan
chakir	hireling soldier, bodyguard
dakhma	circular raised structure used in the Zoroastrian religion for the exposure and ultimate disposal of corpses
danik	a silver coin, worth less than the dirham and the dinar
dapirpat	scribe or secretary
dehkan	landowner
denarius (pl. denarii)	a coin used in the Roman Empire
dinar	a coin of considerable value, usually gold
dirham	a coin, usually silver, worth less than the dinar
diwan	an army
djinn	a spirit in Islamic mythology
farr	the light that confers divine favor
hajj	the pilgrimage to Mecca that every Muslim is urged to perform at least once in a lifetime
harisah	wheat stew
houri	one of the lovely maidens traditionally claimed to be promised to faithful Muslim males in paradise
ifrit	fire demon, a variety of djinn
ikhshid	“prince,” official title of a Sogdian ruler
iqal	cord holding the keffiyeh in place
jizyah	poll tax levied on non-Muslims
jubba	tunic, often quilted, worn as inner or outer wear
jund	military camp
kaba	quilted jacket with sleeves or open tunic
kalam	reed or wooden writing implement
kalansuwa	tall cap, usually wrapped in a turban
keffiyeh	head-covering usually fashioned from a scarf
Khagan	Khan
kharaj	lump-sum duty levied on the land of conquered peoples (a form of tribute)
Khatun	female consort (wife, sister, or other relative) of the Karluk Yabgu; also a female Karluk ruler
kuftan	variant of “kaftan,” a robe
maliq	ruler
masjid	mosque
muezzin	the Islamic official who calls the faithful to prayer at prescribed times of the day
naib	deputy or second in command
Novruz	the Zoroastrian New Year’s celebration
oud	stringed instrument similar to a lute
parasang	unit of distance, now indeterminable
qadi	judge
qaid	master or leader
qin	ancient Chinese stringed instrument
sardwil	broad trousers
serdar	an honorific roughly meaning “chief”
tanbur	a long-necked lute
ummah	followers of Mohammad
Yabgu	supreme leader (male) of the Karluks, a powerful nomadic tribe

Glossary for the Novel

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