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English-Hassanya dictionary

Introduction

This Group contains a two-way English-Hassanya dictionary of key CBNRM and CBNRM-related terms. Hassanya is used in Mauritania. A Background on this Group is available, as are Descriptions of these languages. In most cases, where comments on a translation are necessary, they are listed in the first part of the dictionary. Cf. Arabic-French dictionary, as Hassanya is an Arabic dialect. Hassanya words and terms are listed in the Latin alphabet. The Arabic language versions of these terms are available but can, as or yet, not easily be rendered in HTML.

Content

English to Hassanya

animal hayawane. Comments: The etymology of this word is 'hay', which means 'life'. The word refers to one category of animals, namely what in Mauritania is considered as domestic animals (incl. ass, bovine, camel, goat, horse and sheep). The meaning of 'hayawane' can be extended to other living species (incl. birds, flies, insects, and reptiles), but this is only done by educated people, that is, the elite. The word 'el bakhnouss' means all wild and domestic animals. The word 'daba' excludes birds, humans and insects
bird tayr. Comments: The word refers to flying animal species, including domesticated birds. The same word is used in Arabic
common property el chirk. Comments: The term means 'community spaces' (incl. animal trails, dams, oasis, pastoral spaces, 'tamourts', transhumance lanes, wells and wetlands) that are shared by a community
Common Property Resource (CPR) meouareds mochtaraka. Comments: The term covers pastures, rain water, salty grounds for camels, and wells
common property resource management tessiyr el meouared el mochtaraka. Comments: Conventional formulas relative to natural resource management (incl. land law, real property law and tribal regimes)
community (1) ehel, (2) ejmaa, (3) majmouaa. Comments: Means group or tribe living together, connected through a common way of living and common traditions, and not being related through kinship. The French word 'communautè' is often used in the sense of 'settlement' (that is, permanent occupation of space), which is not the situation with the traditional nomadic way of life in Mauritania. The word 'ehel' (also) refers to 'a family', for example, "the family of the town of Rachid"
community-based mahalli. Comments: The word is borrowed from Arabic. The literal meaning is 'place'
Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) tesyir el mahalli min taraf el majouaat el ghaeidiya lil meouared tabieiya. Comments: This term is a loan word from Arabic
Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) stakeholder vaeil vi mejal tessyir el mahalli lil meouareed tabieiya. Comments: This term is a loan word from Arabic
Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) practitioner ?. Comments: This term is not available in Arabic or Hassanya
community development tenmiya el jemaiya. Comments: The literal meaning is 'development of groups of people living in a delimited space' like, for example, a village or a camp in the bush. 'Edebaye' means a small village that has settled around their cultivated fields
development tenmiya. Comments: This term is a loan word from Arabic
fish (1) hout, (2) semeck. Comments: The word 'hout' is commonly used. Educated people also use the word 'semeck'. Both words come from Arabic (it is commonly believed that 'hout' is a Hassanya word, but it is in fact classical Arabic)
flower nouwar. Comments: The classical Arabic form is spelt 'nouwaratoun' (the pronunciation is also slightly different). In urban areas the word 'vleraya' (a corruption of the French word 'fleur') is also used
insect hacherats. Comments: The exact same word is found in Arabic
management tesyir. Comments: Used mostly by educated people. An Arabic term
natural resource management tesyir el meouared tabieiya. Comments: This term is a loan word from Arabic, and is used only by educated people
ownership (1) el emoual, (2) el moulkia. Comments: Arabic words. Commonly used in Hassanya, specifically in religion
village (1) dcheyra, (2) gharya. Comments: The word 'dcheyra', a typical Hassanya word, refers to a small town. The traditional term for a village is 'el wad' which means 'oasis', because villages were traditionally located near a well. Today most people use the term 'dcheyra' to designate a village. The word 'gharya' is imported from classical Arabic and means 'village'. In Hassanya 'gharya' can also mean 'bush' (that surrounds a village)

Hassanya to English

el chirk common property
dcheyra village. Comments: See 'gharya'
ehel community. Comments: See 'jmaa', 'majmouaa'
ejmaa community. Comments: See 'ehel', 'majmouaa'
el emoual ownership. Comments: See 'el moulkia'
gharya village. Comments: See 'dcheyra'
hacherats insect
hayawane animal
hout fish. Comments: See 'semeck'
mahalli community-based
majmouaa community. Comments: See 'ehel', 'ejmaa'
meouareds mochtaraka common property resource
el moulkia ownership. Comments: See 'el emoual'
nouwar flower
semeck fish. Comments: See 'hout'
tayr bird
tenmiya development
tenmiya el jemaiya community development
tesyir management
tessiyr el meouared el mochtaraka common property resource management
tesyir el mahalli min taraf el majouaat el ghaeidiya lil meouared tabieiya Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM)
tesyir el meouared tabieiya natural resource management
vaeil vi mejal tessyir el mahalli lil meouareed tabieiya Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) stakeholder

Contributors and sources

Contributors

The following have contributed to this evolving dictionary:

Lakhsara Mint Die - GTZ, Nouakchott, Mauritania (CBNRM Net member)

Sources