Page 128 - Arabiab Studies (IV)

118 Arabian Studies IV
64. Alley between houses: misrab pi. masSrib AI, batfah Ab, siddeh pi.
sidad J.
65. Wall surrounding a house: b&yit Al, bof T, sur pi. ’aswar N, dayy'ir
Qa.
66. Defensive watchtowcr: ga$abah T, Ab, J, g$ubah Na pi. ga$Ib Ab,
g$ib J. gi$Ib Na. Where mud architecture with slate prevails the towers arc
round. In Tamniyah in Shahran the writer had the opportunity of entering
one. The entrance was ground level and the passage leading inside dipped
at the end and rose at an angle so that a crawling intruder would have to
show his head to the defenders with his spine curved back.
67. Lookout in the field: sahwah pi. sahwat Al, mabmulah pi. mabamll
J. Such a structure, made up of branches and a platform is used for
watching over the fields, especially for birds who are destructive of crops.

The Tihamah: AI-Qauz
68. Squared hut with domed roof: *ussah pi. ‘usas.
69. Hangar-like hut: jundub pi. janadib.
70. Square or rectangular hut with flat roof: $ab/ pi. $ubul.
71. Stick on top of a hut: gur‘enah.
72. Horizontal interwoven branches forming part of the frame: barijah
pi. barSyij.
73. Sticks and branches making up the walls of a hut: jarldah coll.
jand.
74. Mud mixed with dung (ro9) used to plaster the walls inside a hut:
ribdah.
75. Roping which holds a hut together: manninah.
76. Doorway: bab.
77. Ledge running above the doorway and serving as a lintel and shelf
on the inside: *agm.
78. Threshold line: kabah.
79. Ropes running horizontally along the inside of a hut: ziyar pi.
zuyur.
80. Floor of beaten earth: *ar$ah.
81. Shelf: raff pi. rufuf, mirfa‘ pi. marafi‘.
82. Lookout in the field: misbab pi. masabib*

LINGUISTIC OBSERVATIONS

Phonology

The above list gives clues to certain phonetic phenomena attested
in the regions studied. The most important are the following:
(a) The change y>/.
This change has been attested for Al, Sh, N, T, Ith, Nab, Ruf, Aq,
but not all the examples reflect it as the sound y is being displaced