The Map of Love (86 page)

umm/u:
mother. In traditional society a woman, rather than being called by her given name, is called
umm
followed by the name of her oldest child. Similarly a man is called
abu
(father of) followed by the name of his oldest child. This is considered more respectful than using the given name.

ummi:
my mother.

uqal
(also
ugal):
the black cord circle worn on the crown of the head over a kufiyya.

wa
(also
we
and
w’):
and.

W’ mit bosa:
and a hundred kisses.

wadi:
valley [of].

walla ma:
or not. Derogatory, dismissive, ‘it makes no difference’ — like the use of the prefix ‘shm’ in Jewish-American parlance.

waqf:
a trust.

ya:
vocative instrument — optional if the vocative phrase is at the beginning of the utterance, obligatory if it is in the middle.

Yafa:
Palestinian coastal town. English: Jaffa.

ya-fandim:
sir (abbreviated
ya afandi)
.

yakhti (ya okhti):
my sister.

yalla:
hurry, let’s go.

yama:
an indication of great quantity, as in ‘yama I told him, but he wouldn’t listen’.

ya
ni:
an interjection. Literally ‘it means’. But used like ‘you know’ and ‘almost’ and ‘so-so’.

Yasu
al-Masih:
Jesus, the Christ. Specific to Christ, as opposed to ’Isa which is Jesus as a common name.

zaffa:
wedding procession.

zagharid:
ululations, joy-cries, celebrating a happy event. Made exclusively by women. Singular:
zaghruda
.

zarafa:
giraffe.

Tazawwada min al-aqmari qabla ufuliha
li-dhulmati ayami-l-furaqi wa tuliha

A-anta razinun ayyuha al-qalbu fi ghadin
ka
ahdika am sarin wara
a humuliha?

Khalli sududak we hagrak
W-itfi lahibi we wagdi
Sa
it wisalak we urbak
aghla min el-
umr
andi
laglak hagarni manami
we fik gafeit kulle saheb
we lagl urbak we waslak
sahibt gheir el-habayib