VOCABULARY

OF THE

SHOWIAH, BREBER, OR SHILHA LANGUAGE OF AFRICA.

FROM THE AUTHORS BEFORE MENTIONED.

THE

NOT E.

HE words do not always agree in orthography; for example, Jones writes Crat, for three; Summoft, four; Sutheast, fix; Sa, seven. Jones writes the fame words Karad, Semus, Sadis, Sa: Dr. Shaw writes Ahrám bread, Jones and Hoft fpell it Agbroom; the word begins with the letter ain, in both, and being pointed is pronounced guttural, as gb; therefore these are the fame words, pronounced according to the provincial dialects. The Orientalift will alfo find many words are mere corruptions of the Arabick, which muft unavoidably happen, from their long intercourse with the Moors.

Afufe, avais, hand, clap- Bhos, bhus, abhaife, the

Note. Dr. Shaw derives this word from the Arabic hauk or heiauk to weave, (texit). Hoft calls it Haiken; they are both of the fame origin with the Irish Oighe or Oice, fignifying a web of cloth, or any thing woven. Another name for it

in

in Irish is Suanach (a), in Arabic Suna, a garment, cloth, turban, fash, tiara, turned by the modern Arabs into femma, which fignifies a fpecies of loose upper garment of the Arabians, fomewhat refembling the Plaid of the Highlanders of Scotland (b); but the common Irish name is Philleadh or Filleadh, fignifying a Cloth; Filleadh beg the little cloth, i. e. the kelt, or petticoat, part of the highland dress: hence its diminitive Fillag, a fhawl, wrapper, little plaid (c); thefe are all made of a variegated wollen ftuff called tartan, in which the red colour is predominant: hence the phaledoth of the Chaldæan foldiers. See note G. The word is derived from the Scythian or Irish filleadh or fillam, to fold, to plait, to weave in like manner the Irish feol, pronounced hole, a weaver's loom, a web of cloth, forms the Persian shawl, an ornament worn by the women on the neck, like our handkerchief or kercher; hence the Perfic chula, a weaver, in Irish feoladoir; hence feol, a fail (of a fhip), and feoladoir, fignifies a failor alfo ; for diftinction, this word is now not used in the former fense; and a weaver is named Fighidoir. In Arabic fhaul, cloth.

(a) A Highland plaid, a fleece. Shawe's Irish Dict.

(b) Richardson's Arab. Dict.

(e) Shawe's Dict.

Oighe a web, was mistaken by the Greeks for Ogha, fciences,

hence Ogga Minerva, or the Graces, was made to preside over weaving. See Ogham, before defcribed.

(d) Shawe in his Irish Diet. by mistake calls it a Cow.