ambulatory An aisle or covered corridor.
apogee The highest point; climax.
arcuate Bent or curved.
belles lettres Entertaining, sophisticated light literature.
calligraphy A decorative form of handwriting, in many societies considered the supreme visual art.
caravansary In the Middle East, parts of North Africa, and Central Asia, an inn, usually near a court, where caravans and other travelers could rest at night.
compendium A brief treatment of a much larger subject; a concise treatise.
contrapuntal Referring to two or more independent melodies sounded together.
endogamy Marriage within a specific tribe or group.
ewer A pitcher in the shape of a vase.
faience Glazed pottery, especially of a fine variety with highly coloured designs.
hagiography The writing and critical study of the lives of saints.
hemistich A short or incomplete line in a poem.
heterodox Diverging from established or accepted doctrines; unorthodox.
hypostyle In architecture, an interior space whose roof rests on pillars or columns.
madrasah A school attached to a mosque, usually for the study of theology.
minaret A tower attached to a mosque with a balcony from which the people are called to prayer.
monorhyme A poem in which all the lines rhyme with each other.
morphological Referring to the study of form or structure.
oscillate To move back and forth, like a pendulum.
panegryic A lofty oration of praise.
parvenu A person of newly acquired wealth or position.
pastoral Relating to life in the country.
polemic Controversial argument, often of a religious nature.
polygynous Having more than one wife at once.
profligate Shamelessly immoral or delighting in extravagance.
prosody The study of poetic metre and versification.
purdah The seclusion of women from the sight of men or strangers.
qiblah The point toward which Muslims turn to pray; toward Mecca.
quatrain A four-line poem or stanza, most frequently with alternate rhymes.
scabrous Dealing with scandalous themes.
sheikh The leader or patriarch of a tribe.
sorghum A cereal grass bearing a dense grain used for making syrup.
trope Any literary or rhetorical device using words in a way other than their literal sense.
turgid Inflated; overblown; pompous.
vegetal Plant-like.
zoomorphic In the form of an animal.