Abal

Uh-buh-l // wild rose

Aish el-saraya

Eye-sh el-suh-raa-yuh // Middle-Eastern bread pudding

Akhh

Interjection/exclamation, a sound made usually in frustration

Akhraj

Ukh-rudge // get out

Amir al-Maut

Uh-meer ul-mout // prince of death

Ana

Uh-nuh // I, sometimes “I am”

Arak

Uh-ruck // liquor

Azizi

Uh-zee-zee // my darling

Baba

Baa-baa // dad

Bahamut

Baa-haa-moot // legendary creature from Middle Eastern myth

Bakhour

Ba-khoor // incense

Bashmu

Ba-sh-moo // legendary creature from Middle Eastern myth

Caliphates

States that make up Arawiya

Caliph/Calipha

Ruler of a caliphate

Daama

Daa-maa // bloody

Da’ira

Daa-e-ruh // compass

Dallah

Dull-uh // teapot with a curved spout

Dandan/Dendan

Serpentine creature from Middle Eastern myth

Dum Sihr

Blood (dum) magic (sihr)

Emaa

Taffy-like ice cream

Ensuri

En-sue-ree // people with affinities pulled from the environment

Hashashin

Ha-sha-shin // assassin

Ha

Arabic letter

Habibi

Ha-bee-bee // term of endearment meaning “my beloved”

Haqq

Huqq // Truth

Harsha

Harsh-uh // Moroccan pancake made from semolina and thyme

Hayati

Ha-yaa-tee // term of endearment meaning “my life”

Ifrit

If-rit // beings created of smokeless fire

I’jam

E-jaam // diacritic points that distinguish various consonants of written Arabic

Ilm

Knowledge

Ithnayn

Ith-nain // two

Jaban

Ja-bun // coward

Jambiya

Jum-bee-yuh // curved dagger

Jawarat

Ja-wa-raaht // jewel

Jismi

Jis-me // people with affinities pulled from within themselves

Jumu’a

Ju-mu-ah // used to describe the open plazas in which announcements and events typically take place in towns and cities

Kaftar

Kuff-tar // men who can shift from and into hyenas (derived from Middle Eastern myth)

Kanafah

Kah-nah-fah // Middle Eastern sweet dish

Keffiyah

Keff-ee-yah // checkered scarf typically worn by men, sometimes wrapped as a turban, other times beneath a circular rope band called an agal.

Khalas

Khah-lus // finished, the end, end of story

Kharra/Khara

Kha-ra // shit

Kura

Koo-ruh // a game similar to soccer

Laa

No

Mabrook

Mub-roo-k // congratulations (slang)

Ma’moul

Ma-mool // date-filled cookies

Manakish

Mah-nah-kesh // flat bread topped thyme, cheese, or ground meat

Mahshi

Mah-she // stuffed squash, eggplant or peppers

Marhaba

Mar-ha-buh // welcome

Mimbar

Mim-bar // podium or platform used by officials for speeches

Miragi

Me-raa-gee // type of affinity, similar to an illusionist

Mutabaq

Mu-tub-buck // meat-stuffed pancake

Naddaha

Nud-duh-ha // legendary creature from Middle Eastern myth

Nisa

Ne-suh // woman

Okht/Okhti

Ukh-th // sister or my sister

Qaf

Arabic letter

Qif

Qiff // stop

Qahwa

Qah-wuh // Middle Eastern coffee

Qamis

Qa-mees // shirt

Qutn

Qu-tn // cotton

Ras el-Hanout

Rahs-el-ha-noot // blend of spices

Rida

Re-duh // hood

Rimaal

Re-mal // sands, used as a curse word

Rukh

Roo-kh // massive bird-like beast from Middle Eastern myth

Sabar

Suh-bahr // patience

Safaitic

Suh-fye-tic // old tongue of Arawiya

Safawi

Suh-faa-we // type of date

Safi (pl. Safin)

Saa-fe // elven-like creatures faster and wiser than humans, immortal

Sayyidi (fem. Sayyida)

Sye-ye-dee // respectful way of addressing someone, similar to sir or ma’am

Shorba

Shore-buh // Middle Eastern lentil soup

Shukrun (n. Shukur)

Shu-crun // thank you

Si’lah

Si-laa // race of the Six Sisters of Old

Sirwal

Sir-waal // baggy trousers worn by men and sometimes women

Siwak

See-waak // wooden toothbrush

Sooq

Soo-q // market

Sukkary

Sook-curry // type of date

Sultani

Sul-tan-ee // my sultan

Tabar

Tuh-bar // ax

Thalatha

Thuh-laa-thuh // three

Umm

Oohm // mother

Ummi

Oohm-me // my mother

Wahid

Wah-hid // one

Yaa

Oh

Yalla

Yul-luh // let’s go, hurry

Za’eem

Zuh-eem // mayor, or head of a village

Zalaam

Zuh-laam // darkness

Zataar

Zuh-tar// aromatic herb or spice blend

Zill

Shadow

Zumra

Zoom-ruh // gang

Afya

Af-yuh // Nasir’s horse, named after one of the Six Sisters of Old; meaning: wellness

Anadil

Uh-nuh-deel // One of the Six Sisters of Old; meaning: nightingale

Altair al-Badawi

Ul-tuh-eer ul-bah-da-we // the sultan’s general and all around pain; meaning: eagle

Ayman al-Ziya

Aye-mun ul-zee-yuh // caliph of Demenhur; meaning: righteous

Benyamin Haadi

Ben-yuh-meen Haa-dee // Immortal safi from Alderamin; meaning: son of the right hand

Deen Ra’ad

Deen Ruh-ud // Zafira’s childhood best friend; meaning: faith

Ghameq

Ghuh-meq // Sultan of Arawiya and Nasir’s father; meaning: dark

Haytham

Hay-thum // Caliph of Demenhur’s advisor; meaning: hawk

Kifah Darwish

Kee-fuh Dar-wish // One of Nine Elite warriors sworn to the calipha of Pelusia; meaning: fight

Kulsum

Kul-soom // Nasir’s servant and first love; meaning: beautiful

Lana

Laa-naa // Zafira’s younger sister and a healer; meaning: tender

Misk Khaldun

Misk Khal-doon // Yasmine’s husband; meaning: perfume

Nasir Ghameq

Nuh-seer Ghuh-meq // Protagonist #2 of WE HUNT THE FLAME and the Prince of Death; meaning: victorious

Sukkar

Soohk-kar // Zafira’s horse; meaning: sugar

Yasmine Ra’ad

Yaz-meen Ruh-ud // the sister of Zafira’s heart, Deen’s sister; meaning: jasmine

Zafira Iskandar

Zuh-fee-ruh Is-kun-dar // Protagonist #1 of WE HUNT THE FLAME and the Demenhune Hunter; meaning: victorious

Alderamin

Al-der-ah-meen // Home to Benyamin and safinkind, and one of the five caliphates (states) of Arawiya

Arz

Arz // deadly forest surrounding Arawiya

Arawiya

Uh-raa-we-yuh // kingdom in which the story takes place

Bakdash

Buck-daasch // renown ice cream parlor in Demenhur

Demenhur

Dem-en-hoor // Zafira’s home and one of five caliphates (states) of Arawiya

Guljul

Capital of Pelusia; meaning: little bell

Leil

Lay-l // capital of Sarasin; meaning: night

Pelusia

Puh-loo-sia // Kifah’s home and one of the five calipahtes (states) of Arawiya

Sarasin

Sa-ruh-sin // Home of Nasir’s lineage and one of five caliphates (states) of Arawiya.

Sharr

Shah-rr // The island that was once a prison; meaning: evil

Zaram

Zaa-rum // One of the five caliphates (states) of Arawiya