abrek: A North Caucasian term that in Chechen means “avenger,” but that was used as a propaganda term for insurgents fighting the Soviets after the Second World War, who were popularly regarded as defenders of the motherland.
aul: A word of Turkic origin for a fortified village in the Caucasus. Auls were built of stone, often against cliffs. The auls of the Svaneti region in Georgia, with their distinctive fortified towers, are a World Heritage Site.
churchkhela: A popular Georgian candy made of grape must, nuts, and flour, sometimes also with chocolate and raisins. The nuts and other solid ingredients are strung together on fishing line or string and dipped in corn flour and thickened grape juice, then dried in the shape of candles.
emir: Arabic for prince or aristocrat, but also for a military commander.
hafiz: Arabic for a person who has memorized the entire Koran.
houri: Arabic for the beautiful virgins who, in Islamic belief, will welcome the faithful to paradise.
iftar: Arabic for the evening meal with which Muslims end their daily Ramadan fast at sunset.
jihad: Arabic for “striving” or “struggling,” especially with a praiseworthy aim; it has come to be used in English to mean “the holy war,” “the crusade.”
khinkali: Georgian dumplings made with various fillings, including minced meat, onions, herbs, and spices.
madrassa: Arabic for an educational institution, secular or religious. In English, it is generally used to refer to a school or college for the study of Islam.
mujahid: (plural: mujahideen) Arabic for a person engaged in jihad; originally used in English to refer to the guerrilla-type military groups led by the Islamist Afghan fighters in the Soviet-Afghan War and used now to describe other jihadist groups in various countries.
mullah: A Muslim who is educated in Islamic theology and religious law.
Salafi: A reform branch of Sunni Islam that supports the implementation of sharia (Islamic) law.
shahid: (plural: shahideen) Arabic for “witness”; also used to mean “martyr.”
sheikh: Arabic honorific used not just for royalty, but also for a leader, elder, or noble.
stanitsa: Russian or Ukrainian for a village within a Cossack “host,” a territory settled by Cossacks, who were obliged to provide a military force for the imperial Russian army, largely to protect the borders.