ARABIC-L: LING: More of the Zalama Discussion

[Dilworth B. Parkinson]

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Arabic-L: Mon 08 Mar 1999
Moderator: Dilworth Parkinson <dilworth_parkinson at byu.edu>
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1) Subject:  /zelemy/ from /zalam/ or /zulam/
2) Subject: "zha" or "Ttah" --> "Za/Zayn"
3) Subject: Possible Sudanese (Khartoumi) Arabic Variant of "Zalama"

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1)
Date: 08 Mar 1999
From: MOHAMMED M JIYAD <mmjiyad at unix.amherst.edu>
Subject: /zelemy/ from /zalam/ or /zulam/

MarHaban,

No doubt in my mind that the Jordanian /zelemy/ comes from the Arabic word
/zalam/ or /zulam/. The word /zalam-zulam/ means /QidH/ which is an arrow
without feathers, divining arrow, arrow used for oracles. And from that
came the phrase /QidH muCalla/ the seventh of the divining arrows used in
the ancient Arabian game of /maisir/, i.e. the best of them which won
seven shares of the slaughtered camel would exert decisive influence on,
to be the principal agent in, have a major impact on, be of crucial
importance for.

The word /zalam-zulam/ and its plural /'azlaam/ have been used in the
Quran and by Arab poets like Thi Arrummah, Al-HuTai'ah, Ibn Assikkiit,
Al-AKTal, Cabbas ibn Mardaas, Kuthaiir Cazzah, ...  etc. /zalam/ is also
used to describe a horse that is beautiful, energetic and with nice &
perfect conformation.

In modern Iraqi Arabic the word is modified to /zlima/, /zlaam (p.)/, and
used to refer to a man who is brave and canny. However, during the
Monarchy era the word singular and plural forms developed a negative
connotation. The plural /zlaam/, for instance, was used to refer to "the
thugs that surround a landlord, /zlaam al-shaiK/." Therefore, it is no
surprise that when one reads Iraqi Resistance Literature today one would
frequently come accross the expression /zlaam al-sulTah/, "the regime's
thugs."

Best.
Mohammed Jiyad

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2)
Date: 08 Mar 1999
From: GnhBos at aol.com
Subject: "zha" or "Ttah" --> "Za/Zayn"

>  In rural (Druze) Lebanese dialect zalami is the only word for "man",
>  equivalent to rijjeel in urban Lebanese and other dialects.  In the plural
>  it means also may mean "retainer", as in zilimtu 'his henchmen'.
>
>  The root is ZLM.
>
>  A. Barthelmy in his Dictionnaire Arabe-Francais, which covers Greater
>  Syria, lists zalame - zlaam as "homme, individu; pieton; homme viril". For
>  its etymology he says it is borrowed from Bedouin Arabic, giving the
>  literary Arabic form zalamatu- "apparence, silhouette d'homme".  He adds:
>  compare it to (Literary Arabic) thalamu- (th = theta) "silhouette d'homme"
>  and Hebrew shelem "image, spectre" (p. 318).
>
>  Lane in his Lexicon (p. 1247) lists the verb zalama - yazlumu 'to cut off
>  (nose, etc.)' and gives the noun zalam - 'azlaam 'arrow without a head and
>  without feathers'.  He does not give the meaning "man" for it.
>
>  Ernest N. McCarus


Ernest, I think there is a little misunderstanding. [ZaLama -Yazlumu]
"Z" is "zha" or "Ttah" with a dot on it. Zalami, is the letter "Za/Zayn" or
"Ra" with dot on it ;-)

BTW, Yazlumu means to mistreat, or not to be fair to. Maybe that's why
Lane did not bring up "Man" in his Lexicon!

To be "ZaLmit" somebody is not necessarily his henchman, nor restricted
to Druz dialect. If "X" is ZaLmit "Y", that also means that "X" is Ma7soub,
or Ma7soub 3aLa "Y". If "Y" happens to be a big shot, you'd better not
mess with "X". My accent, here, is Lebanese, Beiruti to be specific:
"Ana Mahsoubak", "Ana ZaLi'mtak"; means I am your man. Hissab,
"Arithmatic", Hassaba, Yahsoubu...

My two Cents' worth.

Best Regards,

George N. Hallak       Software. Localizers. Translators
AramediA Group         617-825-3044 F 617-265-9648
761 Adams Street       mailto:sales at aramedia.net
Boston, MA 02122, USA  http://aramedia.com

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3)
Date: 08 Mar 1999
From: Mutarjm at aol.com
Subject: Possible Sudanese (Khartoumi) Arabic Variant of "Zalama"

Greetings / tahaya tayyiba wa b3ad...

A possible variant of this ZLM construction is a term I heard used similarly
in Khartoum, Sudan:

      < zole > (pronounced as in English "mole" or "poll")

Typical greeting like: "Izaiyak yaa zole? Akhbaarak shinoo?"

Also heard in use in the Sudanese community here in southern California.

HTH.

Regards from Los Angeles,

Stephen H. Franke

E-mail: mutarjm at aol.com

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End of Arabic-L: 08 Mar 1999