Naffir

Naffir

Naffīr (نفير) is an Arabic word used in parts of Sudan (including Kordofan, Darfur, parts of the Nuba mountains and Kassala) to describe particular types of communal work undertakings. Naffīr has been described as including a group recruited through family networks, in-laws and village neighbors for some particular purpose, which then disbands when that purpose is fulfilled (Manger, 1987). An alternative, more recent, definition describes naffīr as “to bring someone together from the neighborhood or community to carry out a certain project, such as building a house or providing help during the harvest season.” (Source: 'Conceptual analysis of volunteer', 2004)

The word may be related to the standard Arabic word nafr (نفر) which describes a band, party, group or troop, typically mobilized for war. In standard Arabic, a naffīr āmm (نفير عام) refers to a general call to arms (Wehr, 1980). Naffīr has also been used in a military context in Sudan. For example, the term was used to refer to the an-Naffīr ash-Sha'abī or "People's Militias" that operated in the central Nuba Mountains region in the early 1990s (Kevlihan, 2005).

Naffīr was also used to describe a trumpet in Arabic. The Spanish used the Arabic name an-naffīr and changed it into anafil. (Trompet.nl, 2005)

See also

Bibliography

  • Leif O. Manger, 1987, "Introduction" in Leif O. Manger (ed.) Communal Labour in the Sudan, University of Bergen, p7.
  • Hans Wehr, 1980, A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, Arabic - English, J.Milton Cowan (ed.), 3rd Edition, Beirut: Librarie Du Liban.

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Naffir — Naffīr (en arabe : نفير) est un mot utilisé dans quelques régions du Soudan (surtout dans le Nord du pays, par exemple, Kordofan, Darfour, Kassala et quelques endroits dans les montagnes du Nubas). Ce mot décrit un type de travailleurs… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Janissary — Janissaries redirects here. For the Janissaries series of novels by Jerry Pournelle, see Janissaries series. Janissary New Soldier The Janissaries were mostly chosen from among t …   Wikipedia

  • Sudanese Arabic — Infobox Language name=Sudanese Arabic familycolor=Afro Asiatic states=Sudan region=northern speakers=18,986,000 fam2=Semitic fam3=West Semitic fam4=Central Semitic fam5=South Central Semitic fam6=Arabic script=Arabic alphabet iso3=apdSudanese… …   Wikipedia

  • List of Sudan-related topics — This is a list of topics related to Sudan. Those interested in the subject can monitor changes to the pages by clicking on Related changes in the sidebar.udan* SudanBuildings and structures in SudanArchaeological sites in Sudan* H.U.N.E. * Nubian …   Wikipedia

  • Dugnad — is a Norwegian term for voluntary work done together with other people. In a tradition similar to that of barn raising, community members meet to help an individual, or club members meet to build a clubhouse or get necessary jobs done for a… …   Wikipedia

  • Nafir — is a form of communal labour practiced in northern and western Sudan see naffir for further information. It is also the name given to a Sudanese journal available on line, whose main focus is on the Nuba mountains region of Sudan. The journal is… …   Wikipedia

  • Субботник — Такие ленточки выдавались участникам субботника в 1980 х годах У этого термина существуют и другие значения, см. Субботник (значения). Субботник (воскресник)  сознательный организованный бесплатный труд на благо общества в свободное от… …   Википедия

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”