.::. All there is about Salaam .::.

Salaam Ireemians!

Today I bring to you, all there is about the word we so use: Salaam!
This common arabic greting has such depth to its meaning and to all its transliterations and variations that I thought important to dedicate an entire post only to it. After all...we all started out on KoS with a simple "Salaam"
The truth is, many of us don't even know what it means, how to spell it correctly, how to answer it or the cordial procedure due to it when greeting someone. So... let's get down to business!

Salaam
♦ Useage: When arriving or leaving
♦ Meaning: Peace literally
♦ Dates from: 1611
♦ Hears as in: http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/audio.pl?salaam01.wav=salaam
♦ Cordial Procedure
ARABIA two or three light kisses
INDIA an obeisance performed by bowing very low and placing the right palm on the forehead
INDONESIA two-handed handshake

When answering to this greeting, one shouldn't answer just "Salaam" or you'll be just backanswering "Peace", but a whole other phrase meaning "May peace be with you" or "May peace be within you". You can also answer something like "To you too". So, scroll down...

Assalam alaykum .::. السلام عليكم
♦ Meaning: Peace be upon you
♦ Transliterations: As-Salamu Alaykum Salaam Alaykum As-Salaamu `Aleykum Assalam Alaykum
♦ Variations
As-Salāmu `Alayk(a') :: male singular
As-Salāmu `Alayk(i)' :: female singular
As-Salāmu `Alayk(uma) :: to two people of any gender
As-Salāmu `Alayk(unna) :: female plural to three or more females only
As-Salāmu `Alayk(um) :: to a group of three or more people, where at least one is a male or to a member of state such as a prime minister, president, king, or queen or, in our case, the Sultana


IF someone greets you first-hand with "Peace be upon you" :: Assalam Alaykum e.g. ::, just like in our language, you can answer "To you too". Scroll down...

Wa Alaikum or Wa Alaikum Assalam
♦ Meaning: To You too OR Peace to You too

.:: Just out of curiosity...The Arab prophet stated in the Q'urhan, Muhammad, said one should greet even an empty house ::.

Ok....that should give you some homework. My slaves are already using it, like I am.
Not meaning to be so full of myself but...I think I was the first one using it down on KoS. Either it was me or Majid..not sure. If I wasn't, WHIP ME! BUT I wanna see ALL of you doing it!!
Let's get those arabian booties SHAAAKINNNN

ممثل .::. Star

.::. Male Arabic Outfit .::.

Although I personally die for a slaver in kilt (*shudders as her mind travels across Majid's images in kilt) and my mouth waters for certain Dungeoners and Knights... This I must say... It is not a traditional Arabian male outfit.

Yet, there are some Ireem male residents wearing the right outfit, and for that, I will briefly explain what it is and its name:

There are two parts known to the full male costume: the head-piece and the robe.

Beginning with the head-piece:

.::. KEFFIYEH .::.

► It is the traditional head dress of Arab men, on which a square cloth wraps around the head in various directions, meaning to protect from direct exposure to the sun and sometimes also to cover the mouth and the eyes from sandstorms and/or dust. It is commonly found in arid climate areas.

► Keffiyeh is often spelled kaffiyah, keffiya, kaffiya, kufiya or some other variation, depending on different understandings over the Arabic pronounciation, which differs from region to region. The name keffiyeh is believed to branch from the name of the city Kufa (الكوفة, al-kūfä) or from the word standing for "palm of the hand" (الكف, al-kef) (the other meaning of the word is "napkin" (held in hands).

► The keffiyeh, when completely white, can be called a ghutra (غترة, ġuträ), particularly in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain (where the skullcap is confusingly called keffiyeh), but is also known in some areas a shmagh (شماغ, šmāġ) or a hatta (حطّة, ḥaṭṭä).

So....undoing all this..we are left with:

► Depending on the Arabian region, it can be known as the following:

♦ keffiyeh (الكوفة, al-kūfä) :: the most common

♦ shmagh shemagh yashmag (شماغ, šmāġ) :: in some areas

♦ guthra (غترة, ġuträ) :: is the cloth is completely white and only in some areas

♦ hatta (حطّة, ḥaṭṭä) :: in some areas

.::. THAWB .::.

► The typical Saudi Arab man wears a long white, shirt-like garment, that can be called as follows:

♦ thawb or thobe pronounced "tawb" (ثوب, ṯawb)

♦ dishdasha (دشداشة, dišdāšä)

♦ kandura (كندورة, kandūrä)

♦ khameez (قميص, qamīṣ) :: yes, similar to the camise or camisk in Gor

► It is an ankle-length garment, usually with long sleeves, similar to a robe. It is typically worn by men in the Arabian Peninsula and some surrounding countries. It is normally made of cotton, but heavier materials such as sheep's wool can also be used, especially in colder climates. Sometimes, a black robe known as a bisht is worn over the top.

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Source .::. Demosthenes registered user @ Yahoo Answers

ممثل .::. Star

FOR ALL OF YOU THIRSTY FOR KNOWLEDGE

As-salaam-alaykum,

Or...may the peace be with You.

.::. Following up on some requests I've read on KoS Blog (http://kingdomofsand.blogspot.com/), specifically on the forum (http://grou.ps/kingdomofsand) and inloco around Ireem (http://slurl.com/secondlife/Purgatorio/128/128/42), I decided to create a blog for all of us to share knowledge about this addictive culture and language.

.::. Speaking for myself, each day I spend on KoS dives me deeper into the ancient Arabic times, making me want to know more and more about the culture itself, to sharpen the outline of my character and, of course, to learn Arabic. I personally think the writing is absolutely beautiful and luscious, almost like translating all the sensuality of the girl's beautiful tanned bodies under the silks and the fighter's tight shapes, sometimes revealed under the keffiyeh and the dishdasha (wich I will further on explain in detail what it is).

But, for now...
Afwan,

Ma'as-salama.


ممثل .::. Star