Obsolete Sudanese Lexical Words in Written Language (16)

Abdel Moneim Ajab Al-Faya: Aghbash, Ghubsha, and Ghabash are lexical entries. In our speech, 'Aghbash' means dusty. Ghabash is the color of dirt, ash, or dirt mixed with gray. Ghubsha is dustiness and murkiness, or a blackness mixed with white. It is said: 'The sky is mughabbasha,' meaning it is covered in dust and haze. Metaphorically, they speak of 'taghbish' (clouding) of consciousness, meaning to confuse it. They also metaphorically refer to people as 'Al-Ghubush,' meaning the hardworking poor, due to the connection with earth and roughness. 'Al-Ghabash' (with a damma) is a clan of the Ja'aliyin in Berber. 'Al-Ghabsha' (with a fatha) is the name of a town in East Kordofan. Lisan al-Arab says: 'Ghabash is the darkness of the end of the night. It is said in a hadith that he prayed Fajr in ghabash. It is said the night 'ighbash' if it becomes dark with a mixture of white. Ghubsha is like dullness in the colors of animals.' The author notes this refers to a color found in animals and humans. 'Dulma' and 'Adama' mean brownness or blackness. The 'Mu'jam al-Waseet' of the Arabic Language Academy in Cairo states: 'Ghabisha the animal: its color became murky. It is aghbash, she is ghabsha.' In the book 'Al-Tabaqat': 'He walked to the mosque and his shins were ghubush,' meaning dusty. Jallaba: The word is derived from the verb 'jalaba,' meaning to bring or import. A 'Jallab' is an importer, and 'Jallaba' is the plural, following the Arabic pattern for professions (like Bahhara, Ballara, Baqqara). The original meaning is driving livestock to market, which remains present in Sudanese dialect. Lisan al-Arab defines 'Jalb' as driving something from one place to another. With urban development, 'Jallaba' came to signify itinerant traders who traveled between villages with goods on pack animals. The term appears multiple times in 'Al-Tabaqat' as a neutral term for traders without ethnic or regional connotations. In the early 20th century, the meaning shifted in the western states (Darfur and Kordofan) to specifically designate traders from the Nile valley tribes (Shayqiya, Ja'aliyin, Danagla). Today, this ethnic and regional implication has faded, and the term has returned to its generic meaning of a merchant. Shaf: To see, look, or observe in a direct, sensory manner. It is widely used in many modern Arabic dialects, including the Gulf and Saudi Arabia, though it is excluded from formal written language. Ancient dictionaries limit 'Shaf' to 'looking up/aspiring to' (tashawwuf). In Sudanese, the primary meaning remains sensory, while the secondary meaning of 'searching' or 'looking for' exists, as seen in 'Al-Tabaqat.' Shal: To carry, take, or lift. Like 'Shaf,' it is common in dialects but absent in formal writing. It has two conjugations: 'Shal/Yashil/Shilan' (as in Sudanese) and 'Shal/Yashul/Shulan'. Ibn Jinni and others note that while some critics object to using it without the preposition 'ba' (as in 'shaltu bi-'), the usage is linguistically valid. It is also used in Sudanese to mean 'gather' (for clouds) or 'to bear fruit' (for trees). Rabbi: To nurture and grow (as in raising children or livestock). It is purely lexical and used in the Quran and in 'Al-Tabaqat' regarding growing hair or nurturing crops. Radakh: Used in writing to mean 'to yield or submit,' though its literal, physical meaning in Sudanese and ancient lexicons is to crush or smash heads, stones, or nuts. Zahri (Color): In the Sudanese dialect, 'Zahri' refers to the color blue (Azure), derived from the blue laundry powder (laundry flower) used to keep white clothes bright. In our speech, the 'za' is often pronounced as 'zha'. While some suggest it is a loanword from 'Azure,' its roots in the Arabic 'Azhar' (bright/white/light blue) are also noted. Mashra: The entry point to a water source. It is mentioned in 'Al-Tabaqat' and classic poetry. Nagham: In our dialect, it means to call out or summon, derived from 'Nagham' (tone/sound). It is synonymous with 'Nada' (to call). Harad: In Sudanese, to overcook, wear out, or beat something until it disintegrates. In the context of 'Al-Tabaqat,' describing a type of 'Mahrud' dance, it refers to the dancer reaching the peak of exhaustion or intense engagement in the movement.