GLOSSARYdtwiin (M.P.?): a list or register, by extension the administrative de-
partment in charge of such a register, also the collected works of
a poet.
dtwiin al-khiitam (Ar.): the department of the seal. See di'wiin zimiim.
dtwiin al-mustaghalliit (Ar.): the department in charge of income from
state property under the early Marwiinis at Damascus.
dtwiin zimiim (Ar.): the registry department for documents.
q,iyii' (Ar.): a landed estate.
fiirist (N.P.): "Persian," form used in Arabic; a kind of high quality
date palm.
farsakh (N.P.): a distance of about 6 km. This form is a loanword in
Arabic from farsang (N.P.), frasang (M.P.). The broken plural in
Arabic is fariisikh.
fay' (Ar.): "permanent booty," tribute, and taxes which were identified
as the common property of the early Islamic community and then
as the property of the state.
(itna (Ar.): "temptation," civil strife among Muslims. There were two
periods of (itna in the seventh century, from 656 until 661 and
from 680 until 692.
fravahr (M.P.): heavenly, immortal counterpart of earthly beings, tu-
telary genius; immortal soul of Magians, guardian angel during
one's lifetime.
giihiinbiir (M.P.), giihanbiir (N.P.): five-day festival celebrated by Ma-
gians at the end of each of the six divisions of the year.
gaon, ge'on (Heb., pI. ge'onim): term of honor used for the heads of
the Rabbinic schools at Sura and Pumbaditha from the end of
the sixth century, contracted from their title resh metivtii, ge'on
Ya'aqov (head of the academy, pride of Jacob).
ghuliim (Ar., pI. ghilmiin): a young man, often a slave.
ghuliit (Ar. pl., sg. ghiilin): extremists.
~adtth (Ar.): an account of what Mul}ammad did or said, which serves
as a precedent for Muslims to follow.
~iijib (Ar.): a chamberlain.
~akam (Ar.): an arbiter.
~aras (Ar.): the bodyguard of an Islamic ruler or governor.
hegemon (Gr.): a high Byzantine official, sometimes used for a local
governor.
~enanii (Syr.): pellets of earth mixed with holy water or oil used as
amulets by Nestorians.