Page 145 - Arabian Studies (II)

Hunting Techniques and Practices in the Arabian Peninsula 137

SPARROW HAWK bashiq; accipiter nisus nisus Briss.
The bird is seen, though never trained by the bedouin.
STONE CURLEW See CURLEW above,
STOOP v. yihawwil ‘ala
This is when the hawk makes a downward, at times
almost vertical, attack at lightning speed on the
quarry.
SWIVEL n. mijawwal; mijwal; midawwar
Two small rings of metal linked by a pin which prevent
the leash and the jesses from tangling.
TIERCEL The word shibbut is used of the smaller male bird,
tiercel, in Najd. The shibbut would never be trained
and the word has definite derogatory undertones,
WALK v.i. tisuff
Used of the hare before the chase begins, when the
tracks indicate that it is walking slowly using each of
the feet independently. See JINK and RUN above,
WEATHER v.t. yisharrig
To put the hawk out on its block (s.v.), especially before
flying to give it the opportunity to preen and very
occasionally bathe,
YARAK, in adj. lahhag
The hawk is in yarak when in the exactly right condition
for the hunt and thus keen to get at the quarry. The
Arabic word is from yilhag, it binds, see BIND above.
The word yarak is Turkish.

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