Arabic-L:LING:Medjoul responses

[Dilworth B. Parkinson]

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Arabic-L: Thu 21 Dec 2000
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1) Subject: Medjoul response
2) Subject: Medjoul response
3) Subject: Medjoul response
4) Subject: Medjoul response
5) Subject: Medjoul response

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1)
Date: 21 Dec 2000
From: Hammoud Salah Civ USAFA/DFF <Salah.Hammoud at usafa.af.mil>
Subject: Medjoul response

The semantic range for the word "mejhool" in Moroccan Arabic covers "what is
not common or widespread," i.e."rare" or "hard to come by" as is the variety
of dates known by the same name. They are therefore the most expensive and
highly prized among dates.  In so much so that during traditional wedding
ceremonies in Morocco, there is a ritual known as  "berzet la'rusa"
(apostrophy 'ain as in 'Arab), litterally "prominent seating of the bride"
which consists of extolling the virtues including physical and moral beauty
of the bride. Women known as "neggafaat" who are hired especailly to attend
to the bride and dress her up in full livery for this ritual shout out all
sorts of praise of her and her family. And among other metaphors
they use in their praise is to compare the bride to " mejhool dates", the
best of the best!
And mind you the neggafaat do not do all this for nothing. It is "ghrama" or
call for monetary bids. And the proceeds of what becomes like a heated
auction go to the neggafaat as their tip.

So much for a little story about "mejdool" dates and Moroccan dialect and
culture!

 Incidently mejdool or mejhool date have been plentiful this country. The
California variety is excellent. My neighboohood grocery store has stocked
them for under four dollars a pound for the past few weeks.

Best wishes for the season!

Salah

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2)
Date: 21 Dec 2000
From: aziz abbassi <moustique51 at hotmail.com>
Subject: Medjoul response

On the "majhoul' dates: they are indeed from Southern Morocco, (but possibly
also from Algeria --which would account for the /dj/ sound common in
Algerian Arabic and which gave the English approximation of Medjool (as in
Medjool Street in Indio California etc.). And yes it means the "unknown" but
very likely used to mean the "unique and the unheard of" in reference to one
of the best and tastiest 'tmer' around.

Aziz Abbassi
Author, Translator
(International Education Management Service)
PO BOX 6030
Monterey, CA 93944
(831) 375-5969

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3)
Date: 21 Dec 2000
From: Louis Boumans <louis.boumans at freeler.nl>
Subject: Medjoul response

Medjhool
 
le Dictionnaire Colin d'Arabe Dialectal Marocain adds:
 
mez^hzl : varietZ tr?s apprZciZe de tr?s grosses dattes rouges qui
noircissent en murissant et que produit leTafilalet [= region in south
eastern Morocco]
 
also etymologically related: z^²hel : varietZ de dattes
 
(z^ stands for voiced palato-alveolair fricative/sibilant)
 
Indeed, there is no clear relation with the other words of the same root,
which all have to do with human ignorance or lack of civilisation. mez^hzl
can be used in standard Arabic as the opposite of mes^hzr "famous", which
seems to apply to the dates.
 
Well, at least Colin's dict. supports the idea of a Moroccan etymology.
 
Louis Boumans

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4)
Date: 21 Dec 2000
From: W.F.G.J.Stoetzer at let.leidenuniv.nl
Subject: Medjoul response

Le dictionnaire Colin d=92arabe dialectal marocain
sous la direction de Zakia Iraqui Sinaceur
Vol. 2 : p. 263

has the following definition for majhuul:
=20
Vari=E9t=E9 tr=E8s appr=E9ci=E9e de tr=E8s grosses dattes rouges qui =
noircissent en
murissant et que produit le Tafilalet.
=20

Etymology majhuul/unknown

=20
Willem Stoetzer
W.F.G.J.Stoetzer at let.leidenuniv.nl

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5)
Date: 21 Dec 2000
From: W <wjw at email.arizona.edu>
Subject: Medjoul response

Medjool, I believe, is from the Arabic "mahjul" (long u) meaning "anonymous,
unnamed, unknown."

William Wilson, Professor
Department of Near Eastern Studies
Ph: (520) 621-5468
Fax: (520) 621-2333

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End of Arabic-L: 21 Dec 2000