The Races of Afghanistan/Afghan terms

The full text of this book has been converted into Wiki format by Laxman Burdak

The Races of Afghanistan

Being a brief account of the principal nations inhabiting that country.

By: H. W. Bellew, C.S.I.

Publisher: Thacker Spink And Co. Calcutta.1880. List of Afghan terms and meaning

Afrida = a created being. (Persian)
Amir = Commander (Arabic)
Cara Calpac = black hat
Cazzac = (Cossack) means a robber
Chandaul = rear guard
Chiragh-kush = lamp-extinguisher
Ghazoe = son of a thief
Karrhai = an iron cooking-pot
Khel = It is Arabic, and signifies a "troop" (especially of horse), "company," "party,"
Khilich = sword
Khilichi = swordsman
Khorlanri = sisterhood
Kirghiz = (Cirghiz) wanderer
Kizil bash = redhead
Loe = Great
Or-mur = fire-extinguisher
Parwinda = a bale of merchandise (Persian)
Rawani = traveller (Persian)
Takin = being a distinctive affix of the names of Turk slaves,eg. Sabaktakin
Tathkira = Memoirs
Turklanri = the Turk brotherhood
Uzbak = independent
Zai - It is Persian, and means literally "born of," but is commonly used in the same sense as Khel, as Musazai or Musakhel, the "offspring " or "party" of Moses. (The Races of Afghanistan/Chapter XII,p.111) ....The particle zai in the plural zi is explained as derived from the Persian zadan "to beget," and signifies " children, offspring, descendants " ; and is also used to designate any "party, faction," etc., bound together by common interests ; properly it represents the Sanskrit genitive affix si. (An Inquiry Into the Ethnography of Afghanistan/Page 1-25,p.13)