abrogate Annul; nullify.
alluvium Clay, silt, sand, gravel, or similar detrital material deposited by running water.
anarchic Of, relating to, or advocating anarchy (lawlessness).
apostolic Of, relating to, or conforming to the teachings of the Christian bible apostles.
bey A courtesy title used in Turkey and Egypt.
brackish Somewhat salty.
caliph Muslim ruler.
capitulation In the history of international law, any treaty whereby one state permitted another to exercise extraterritorial jurisdiction over its own nationals within the former state’s boundaries. The term is to be distinguished from the military term “capitulation,” an agreement for surrender.
caravansary An inn surrounding a court in eastern countries where caravans rest at night.
chamberlain A chief officer in the household of a king or nobleman.
Circassian A member of a group of peoples of the northwestern Caucasus.
citadel A fortress that commands a city.
coking To change into coke, the residue of coal left after destructive distillation and used as fuel.
consort Spouse.
corvée Unpaid labour (as toward constructing roads) due from a feudal vassal to his lord.
dead letter Something that has lost its force or authority without being formally abolished.
dowry In some cultures, the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings to her husband in marriage.
endemic Belonging or native to a particular people or country.
entrepôt An intermediary centre of trade and transshipment.
fastness Remote and secluded place.
fecund Fruitful.
fellah Peasant or agricultural labourer in an Arab country (as Egypt).
fief Something over which one has the right to exercise control.
fortnight Two weeks.
historiography The writing of history; especially: the writing of history based on the critical examination of sources, the selection of particulars from the authentic materials, and the synthesis of particulars into a narrative that will stand the test of critical methods.
indemnity Security against hurt, loss, or damage.
jellaba Known as a gallibiya in Egypt, the garment generally has wide, long sleeves, and the long skirt may be slit up the sides; some styles are open in front like a coat or caftan.
junta A group of persons controlling a government especially after a revolutionary seizure of power.
khedive A ruler of Egypt from 1867 to 1914 governing as a viceroy of the sultan of Turkey.
loanword A word taken from another language and at least partly naturalized.
militate To have weight or effect.
parvenu One who has recently or suddenly risen to an unaccustomed position of wealth or power and has not yet gained the prestige, dignity, or manner associated with it.
physiographic Exterior physical features and changes of the earth.
polemic An aggressive attack on or refutation of the opinions or principles of another.
polyglot Multilingual.
primogeniture An exclusive right of inheritance belonging to the eldest son.
promulgate To make (as a doctrine or constitution) known by open declaration.
riverine Living or situated on the banks of a river.
savant A person of learning, especially one with detailed knowledge in some specialized field.
sirdar Commander of the Anglo-Egyptian army.
sorghum Cereal grain plant of the family Poaceae, probably native to Africa, and its edible starchy seeds.
Sunni One of the two major branches of Islam, the branch that consists of the majority of that religion’s adherents. Sunnite Muslims regard their sect as the mainstream and traditionalist branch of Islam, as distinguished from the minority sect, the Shi’ites.
suzerain A dominant state controlling the foreign relations of a vassal state but allowing it sovereign authority in its internal affairs.
Turkoman A member of a Turkic-speaking traditionally nomadic people living chiefly in Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Iran.
ulama The learned of Islam, those who possess the quality of ‘ilm, “learning,” in its widest sense.
vernacular A language or dialect native to a region or country rather than a literary, cultured, or foreign language.
vizier A high executive officer of various Muslim countries and especially of the Ottoman Empire.
wadi The bed or valley of a stream in regions of southwestern Asia and northern Africa that is usually dry except during the rainy season and that often forms an oasis.