An innovation as to the orthography of some proper names, it is supposed, will not appear affected or improper, when the reason is explained; as Kahira, Damiatt, Rashîd, for Cairo, Damietta, Rosetto. It is of some use in appellatives to approximate to the pronunciation of the natives, and there can be as little reason for receiving Arabic names through the medium of the Italian, as for adopting the French way of writing Greek ones, as Denys for Dionysius, and Tite-Live for Titus Livius. Kahira and Rashîd have each of them their proper meaning in Arabic.—In Italian they have no meaning. The only rule observed has been, to bring back proper names to the original pronunciation, as far as might be done without obscurity.
Where a circumflex has been put over a vowel it is to denote its length, or something exotic in the enunciation. An approach to systematic regularity would have been attempted in expressing Arabic words by Roman letters, but the author freely owns that no rule, at once general in its use and simple and easy enough to be remembered, has yet occurred to him. He has therefore added the original word, wherever it could in any degree tend to illustration or precision.
The word Turk is never applied to signify a professor of Mohammedism, an indefinite mode of designation, that occasions perpetual confusion in speaking of the affairs of the East. The design was, to confine that term to the natives of Europe and Asia Minor. Arab is applied equally to the inhabitants of Syria, Egypt, and the coast of Barbary, as well as to those of Arabia Proper, whether villagers or wanderers. The wandering tribes are however more frequently marked by the terms Bedouin and Muggrebin.
The orthography of the word Calif conveys no idea of the strong guttural letter with which it commences; it is therefore here written Chalîf, or more properly Chalifé. He is no stranger to the Turkish word Bek or Beg; but as those whose enunciation of that language is esteemed most correct, but faintly articulate the consonant which terminates it, he has retained the common orthography Bey. In general, the original language is esteemed the criterion of spelling; and if the same word be occasionally spelled in two different ways, it is only because they are both equally near to that original.
Weights and Measures.
- One oke of Kahira = four hundred drams.
- One rotal = one hundred forty-four drams.
- One rotal silk of Syria = two hundred twenty-nine and a half drams.
- The Cantar is rotals = 102 — 105 — 110 — 120 — 130, variable according to the commodity.
Jewels, Gold, and Silver.
- One kerât = 4 grains.
- One dram or dirhem = 16 kerâts.
- One mitkâl = 24 kerâts.
- One wekîé = 8¼ drams.
Measure of Cloth, &c.
- Pike of Constantinople, called Draa Stambuli, Arab.; Turk. Hindazi, is used for selling cloth and silk. It amounts to twenty-seven inches.
- Pike of Kahira, used for other articles = eighteen inches.