A comparison of Frank Herbert’s “Fremen” and Modern Arabic
The language of the Fremen people in Frank Herbert’s Dune novels is essentially a typographically simplified version of modern Arabic, in that in most cases Herbert appears to have simply dropped the dots and other diacritics used when representing Arabic in the Roman alphabet. Only in a few rare examples, such as subakh ul kuhar does he seem to have applied some sort of “sound change” in the standard sense of the term. Some of his spellings also appear to have been taken directly from the late nineteenth-century British travelogues Mogreb-el-Acksa: A Journey in Morocco by R. B. Cunninghame Graham and Travels in Arabia Deserta by Charles Montagu Doughty. (Represented in the table below by a dagger † and double dagger ‡, respectively.)
In addition to using more consonants than are available in the alphabet, Arabic also makes a distinction between normal (or short) and long (double, or geminate) consonants and vowels. Of these, Herbert preserved only the double consonants (bakka, jabbar, tahaddi). In real linguistic terms, this loss of consonantal and vowel length distinctions would result in a significant increase in homophony and ambiguity.
The table below lists the Fremen terms used by Frank Herbert and their original Arabic forms and meanings, along with the Dune books in which the terms appear, and the sound change “rules” they can be interpreted as representing.
Symbol Key: ʕ and ʔ represent the voiced pharyngeal fricative and glottal stop, respectively. VV represents a long vowel (as opposed to a normal length one: V). ø represents the null symbol, indicating the complete disappearance of a sound or sounds.
| Herbert “Fremen” | Modern Arabic | Original Meaning | Used in* | “Rules” |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| aba | ʕabâʔ (aʕbiʔa) | aba, cloak-like woolen wrap, occasionally striped (586) | D M C G H | ʕ > ø; VV > V; ʔ > ø |
| adab | ʔadab | culture, refinement, good breeding, good manners (9) | D M C | ʔ > ø |
| Alam al-Mithal | ʕâlam ʔal-mithâl | the world (636) of the similitude (892) | D | ʕ > ø; ʔ > ø; VV > V |
| arifa | ʕârifa | sage, wise man (of a village or tribe) (607) | C | ʕ > ø; VV > V |
| bahr bela ma | baḥr bila mâʔ | sea (42) without (38) water (932) | G | ḥ > h; initial syllable i > e; VV > V; ʔ > ø |
| baklawa | baqlâwa(t) | a kind of Turkish delight, pastry made of puff paste with honey and almonds or pistachios (69) | D | q > k; VV > V |
| bashar | bashâr | man, human being; men, mankind (60) | D M C G H CH | VV > V |
| bicouros/Bikouros† | (ʔa)bîqûrus | Moroccan Arabic for missionary < Epicurus | C | (ʔa > ø;) VV > V; q > k |
| burhan | burhân (barâhîn) | proof (56) | D C | VV > V |
| cahueit† | qawwâd | pander, pimp, procurer(795) | C | (Graham’s spelling, based on Spanish loan) |
| caid | qâʔid | head, chief, commander (796) | D | q > c; VV > V; ʔ > ø |
| Dalal-il ’an-nubuwwa! | dalâʔil ʔan-nubuwwa | indications, signs, proofs (289) of the prophecy (941) | C | VV > V; ʔ > ø |
| dar al-hikman | dâr ʔal-ḥikma(t) | house, abode (299) of wisdom, philosophy (196) | D | VV > V; ʔ > ø; ḥ > h |
| dishdasha | dishdâsha(t) | a long usually white robe traditionally worn by men in the Middle East | C | VV > V |
| djedida† | jadîda(t) | [fem. adj.] new, recent (town) (114) | C | a > e; VV > V |
| el-sayal | ʔas-sayyâl | streaming, pouring, torrential; fluid, liquid, stream (448) | D | ʔ > ø; el- for article al- & non-assimilation; CC > C; VV > V |
| fai | faiʔ | [afternoon] shadow (734); booty, reward, tax | D C | ʔ > ø |
| fiqh | fiqh | understanding, comprehension (723) | D | (no change) |
| fit-haquiqa | (misspelling of fî-l-ḥaqîqa?) | in truth, in reality (192) | C | VV > V; t for l; ḥ > h; qui mistake for qi? |
| Fondak† | funduq | inn, hotel | C | (Graham’s spelling) |
| ghafla | ghafla(t) | negligence, inattention, carelessness; foolishness, stupidity (678) | D C | (final h dropt) |
| Ghanima | ghanîma(t) | spoils, booty, loot, prey (686) | D M C G H | VV > V |
| ghibli | qiblî | (coming from) south, southern (740) | G | q > gh |
| ghola | ghûl (aghwâl, ghîlân) | a desert demon appearing in ever-varying shapes; demon, jinni, goblin, sprite, ogre, cannibal (688) | M C G H CH | û > o (-a suffixed) |
| ghufran | ghufrân | pardon, forgiveness, remission (678) | H CH | VV > V |
| gom jabbar‡ | qaum jabbâr | enemy (dialectal, < people, fellow tribesman (800)?), almighty, gigantic (111) | D C H | VV > V (Doughty’s spelling) |
| Harq al-Ada | Kharq ʔal-ʕÂda(t) | tearing, disrupting, breaching (235) the habit, custom (654) | C G | initial kh > h; VV > V; ʔ > ø; ʕ > ø |
| Ibad (Eyes of) | (ʕabd) ʕibâd | slave, bondsman, servant; pl. servant [of God], human being (586) | D M | ʕ > ø; VV > V |
| ighir† | ʔighîr(?) | castle; fort, fortified place < Tamazight (Berber): shoulder; mountain | M | VV > V (Graham spelling) |
| ijaz | ʔiʕjâz | inimitablility, wondrous nature [of the Koran] (592) | D | ʔ > ø; ʕ > ø; VV > V |
| ilm | ʕilm | knowledge, learning, science (635) | D | ʕ > ø |
| Ish yara al-ahdab hadbat-u. | (M?)ish yarâʔ ʔal-ahdab had[a]batu | A hunchback does not see his own hunch. | CH | VV > V; ʔ > ø |
| istislah | ʔistiṣlâḥ | reclamation, cultivation (523) | D | ʔ > ø; ṣ > s; VV > V; ḥ > h |
| jihad | jihâd | fight, battle; jihad, holy war (142) | D M C G H CH | VV > V |
| jubba (cloak) | jubba(t) | jubbah, a long outer garment, open in front, with wide sleeves (110) | D | (dropt final h) |
| Kitab al-Ibar | Kitâb ʔal-ʕIbar | The Book (812) of Warnings (587) | D C | VV > V; ʔ > ø; ʕ > ø |
| koolish zein | kullish zain | very/all good (835?, 390) | C | spell: u > oo; ai > ei |
| la, la, la | lâ lâ lâ | No no no! | D | VV > V |
| mektub al mellah† | maktûb al malîḥ | (Mor.Ar.) written (813) in salt (920) | M C | a > e; VV > V; l > ll; ḥ > h (Graham’s spelling) |
| mish-mish | mishmish | apricot (910) | D | (no change) |
| mohalata† | mukhâlaṭa | company, intercourse, association (256) | C CH | u > o; VV > V; medial kh > h; ṭ > t (Graham’s spelling) |
| Muad’Dib | muʔaddib | educator, teacher in a Koranic school (10) | D M C G H CH | ʔ > ø (Weird spelling with apostrophe moved to between doubled consonant) |
| mushtamal | mushtamal | cottage (for rent) (487) | D C | (no change) |
| naib | nâʔib (nuwwâb) | representative, agent, proxy, deputy (1008) | D M C G H CH | VV > V; ʔ > ø |
| Padishah | (Pâdeshâh) | Persian: “Master King” | D M C | (p > b); VV > V |
| qanat | qanâ(t) (ʔaqniya, qanawât) | canal, stream, waterway (794) | D M C H | ʔ > ø; VV > V |
| Ramadhan | Ramaḍân | ninth month of the Muslim calendar (360) | D | ḍ > dh; VV > V |
| razzia | ghâziya(t) | (Alg.Ar.) a hostile raid for purposes of conquest, plunder, and capture of slaves | D | (French loan spelling) |
| Sareer | sarîr | bedstead, bed; throne, elevated seat (405) | G H | spelling: î > ee |
| sarfa | ṣarfa(t) | averting, turning away (513) | D | ṣ > s |
| selamlik | Turk. < Ar. salâmlik | selamlik, reception room, sitting room, parlor (425) | D H | init. syl. a > e; VV > V |
| Shah-Nama | (Shâhnâmé) | Persian: “The Book of Kings” | D | VV > V |
| Shai-Hulud | Shayʔ Khulûd | thing of eternity | D M C G H CH | ʔ > ø; VV > V; initial kh > h |
| Shaitan | Shayṭân (shayâṭîn) | Shaitan Satan, devil, fiend (497) | D C G H CH | spelling: ay as ai; ṭ > t; VV > V |
| Shuloch (Shluoch†) | ?Shluḥ < shallaḥa (484) | Berber Chleuh (Shleuh, Shluh) people ?? | C G | (metathesis of Graham’s spelling?) |
| sirat | ṣirâṭ | way, path, road (511) | D | ṣ > s; VV > V; ṭ > t |
| suk | sûq (aswâq) | bazaar street, market (443) | C G | VV > V; q > k |
| Subakh ul kuhar | ṣabâḥ al-khayr | Good morning! [lit. the morning of the good] | D | init. syl. a > u; VV > V; word final ḥ > kh; al- > ul; ?khayr > kuhar |
| Subakh un nar | ṣabâḥ an-nûr | Good morning (response) [lit. the morning of the light] | D C | init. syl. a > u; VV > V; word final ḥ > kh; al- > ul; û > a |
| taif | ṭâʔifa(t) | troop, band, group (574) | C | ṭ > t; VV > V; ʔ > ø; final a(h) > ø |
| Usul | (ʔaṣl) ʔuṣûl | root, origin, source; plural: principles, fundamentals (19) | D M | ʔ > ø; ṣ > s; VV > V |
| Ya hya chouhada! | yaḥyâ ash-shuhadâʔ | [long] live (220) [the] witnesses, martyrs (489) | D | ḥ > h; VV > V; def.art. dropt; spelling: sh as ch; u as ou (French?); ʔ > ø |
| zanadiq | (zindîq) zanâdiqa | zendik, unbeliever, atheist (383) | C | VV > V; final a > ø |
| zein | zayn | beautiful, pretty, nice = good (390) | D C | ay > ei |
| (Table updated 5 December 2010) | ||||
Notes
- The transliterations into a mixed IPA-style Romanization in the "Modern Arabic" column of the above table are original here but heavily indebted to the entries in Arabic orthography on Khalid Baheyeldin’s very helpful Arabic and Islamic themes in Frank Herbert’s "Dune" page on his Baheyeldin Dynasty website. Note that this table omits elements not believed to be of Arabic origin, such as Bene Gesserit and axlotl, and adds others not included on Baheyeldin’s page.
- Plural forms of nouns are shown in parentheses in the Arabic column. Where Frank Herbert used the plural form (as with Usul), the form in parentheses is the singular. Final (t) indicates tâʔ marbûṭa, pronounced as h when word-final or t when a suffix is added.
- Numbers in parentheses in the original meaning column indicate page numbers in Hans Wehr’s A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 3rd (Pocket-Book) Edition, edited by J. Milton Cowan (1976).