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For use of Military Personnel only. Not to
be republished, in mhole or in part, without
of the War Department.

Prepared by

SPECIAL SERVICE DIVISION, :

UNITED STATES ARMY

A SHORT GUIDE TO

SYRIA

FONDREN LIBRARY

Stuthern MBthodist University

DALLAS. TEXAS

WAR AND NAVY DEPARTMENT
W8*hlniton, O. C.

A SHORT GUIDE TO SYRIA

CONTENTS

page

Iniroduction 5

Ancient Land — Holy Land 8

The Syrians "

The Arabic Language ^4

Getting Along With the Syrians 15

Climate and Sanitary Conditions ...... 29

Currency, Weights, and Measures 35

Some Important Do's and Don'ts 37

Hints on Pronouncing Arabic 41

Useful Words and Phrases 45

A Glossary 3°

"If you give, give plenty; and

If you strike, strike hard."

Syrian Proverb

YOUR UNIT has been ordered to Syria. Soon you will
be standing on the shores of a sea or on a desert which
has played a great part in world history.

You, an American soldier, are now one of the countless
fighting men, over the past two thousand years, who have
tramped across this neck of land connecting Europe and
Asia. Alexander the Great, Caesar, Napoleon — all have
struggled on this land for world dominion.

Here two great religions — Christianity and Judaism —
sprang up. Egyptian, Babylonian, Persian, Roman, Turk-
ish and European civilizations have left a mark on Syria's
sparsely inhabited lands. And for three centuries, waves
of Crusaders from Europe fought the Saracens for posses-
sion of this Holy Land.

You are in Syria to fight — and to win — against Hitler,
who seeks world domination. And a big part of your

job is to make friends for your cause — because this is
a war of ideas, just as much as of tanks, planes and
guns.

You're here to prevent Hitler from taking over this
strategic land. He's tried once and probably will again.
That's why the Free French and the British occupied
Syria in July 1941.

Under the League of Nations, France was given a
mandate over Syria after World War I. When France
surrendered in World War il, German "tourists" began
to filter into the desert. Then the British and Free French
acted to protect the oil fields and pipe lines and guard this
"land bridge" to Asia.

Your coming will be welcome to Syrians. In fact, at
the end of the last war, Syria sought to be placed under
American mandate protection. And, too, many Syrians
have been educated at the American University at Beirut.
So, you arc in a friendly country and you won't have
much trouble making friends, if you use ordinary horse
sense in your dealings with the people of this land. But,
with the best intentions in the world, you're likely to
make serious mistakes, // you don't learn a little some-
thing about Syrians and their ways of doing things. This
pamphlet will help to give you a quick picture of Syria
which may make it easier to gel along.

This is a War of Ideas One of the ways to beat the Ax s

n Sj a and n otl e parts of the Moslem vorld s to
con nee the p ople that the Un ted Nat ons are the r
fr ends Fron the outbreak of th s war Ax s mt ons ha e
tr ed through the r propaganda ma h nes to k ndle a
rel g ous ar ot Moslems aga nst Chr stians They hoped
to spread a fire ot hate f om Turkey and "^rab a ail d e

ay ac oss th North \ir ca coast TTie r plans ha e
fa led because the Moslems deeply rel g ous kno that
the Naz return to heathen sm s a threat to the r rel g on
as veil as to others

By show ng your understand ng of Moslem character
and custon by your o vn conduct n your relat ons w th
the Sy an people you can ma nta n the good reputat on
that Amercans alreadj enjoy And you can n a ery
effect ve way take the po son out of Naz propaganda

ANCIENT LAND— HOLY LAND

WHEN you stand on ihe shores of Syria, with your back
to the Mediterranean, you will be looking eastward across
the great "land bridge" between Europe and Asia. Across
it, for centuries, came caravans carrying silks, spices, and
the jewels of the Orient to the western world.

We're a bit spoiled now. In about 12 hours a ship may
go through the 100-mile ditch in the sand, the Suez Canal,
and start on through the Red Sea to India. And that ditch
was opened only in November 1869, after nearly to years
of hard work by the French engineer, deLesscps.

Before then, and since the days of the Phoenicians, the
long, dangerous, costly route was from Syria, through
Iraq down the Persian Chilf to India. Then Sidon was the
great Eastern Mediterranean (xirt from which the Phoeni-
cian traders sailed to the Atlantic and even to Britain.
Today, Sidon and its sister city Tyre are only small ports
on the Levant Coast. In their place is Beirut (bay-Roor)
the leading Syrian port, followed by Tripoli and Latakia
(lat-tah-KEE-ya).

The Coastal Cities. In these thriving cities, you'll see a few
principal avenues, thronged with every kind of people
of the Near East — merchants and fishermen, boatmen
and camel drivers, talking several different languages.

8

The people you'll meet are shrewd and well-informed
as most trading peoples are, with a variety of manners and
customs, picked up here and there.

Beirut is a particularly cosmopolitan city, the seat of
American University, an American Christian school that
has had considerable influence in the spread of education
throughout Syria.

Latakia, despite its shops, hotels, movies, restaurants,
and bathing beaches, is still a typical Syrian town. Its
tiny stores are like cubby-holes in a wall and they offer
their goods in flat platter-like baskets which are piled
high with oranges, olives, or dates. Latakia is famous in
America because it gives to us some of the finest tobacco
in the world, used to flavor American brands.

The Ordest City in the World. Back of the Lebanon
Mountains, to the east, is a wide valley, and back of that
the Anti-Lebanon range, marking the end of the fertile
coastal section and the beginning of the desert. But here,
like a "green island" in the desert, is Damascus, reputed to
be the oldest city in the world, dating back to more than
2,000 years before Christ. Called the "Pearl of the Desert,"
it is a beautiful city, with thousands of white houses, great
orchards and gardens, high-domed mosques, and palaces
and bazaars, thronged with a modcy crowd of Armenians,
■ Greeks, and Arabs, and donkeys, camels, goats, and sheep.
Sweetmeat sellers and auctioneers fill the thoroughfares
with their noise and stir; eating shops are bedlam and the
bazaars crowded. There the dukkans (duk-KAAN)
(stores) are piled to the ceiling with calicos, mushns, and
silks. On small, to-foot platforms, in front of each
dukkan sit the merchants, cross-legged. Coffee sellers pass
up and down, offering their wares. Merchants furnish
their customers with cigarettes and coffee free, and gossip
is always going— on crops or politics or what not.

The great meeting place for the Moslems in Damascus
is the famous Mosque — once a heathen temple, then a
Christian church, and later held joindy by Moslem and
Christian. Since the 8ih Century A. D., it has been
Moslem, hut still contains the shrine of John the

10

Baptist, revered alike by Christian and Moslem peoples.
It is one of the most magnificent structures in the world.
Costly rugs cover its vast stone floor and its roof is
supported by marble pillars.

THE SYRIANS

You'll see a lot of the cities and their people, but it's the
desert and the desert folk that give flavor to the land.

THE desert Arab, ot tribesman, has few

beyond coffee, sugar, and tobacc'o. Even on feast days he
eats astonishingly little, and when no guest is present,
bread and a bowl of camel's milk is about all he re-
quires — and he can make long marches on that simple
fare. It is said that the Bedouin (BEi>-win) is never with-
out hunger. But when a notable guest is in camp, a sheep
must be killed and a bountiful meal of mutton, curds, and
flaps of bread is the order of the day.

More than 250,000 Bedouins roam the desert fringes
in Syria with their herds of camels and huge flocks of
sheep searching for pasture. You'll be able to recognize
the Bedouin by his flowing robes, his long head scarf and,
frequently, by his long side curls.

Desert Farmers. Less romantic perhaps than the Bed-
oum or the warlike Jebel Druze (jE-bel drooz) arc the
farmers, but they form the bulk of the 3'/i millions of
people of Syria-Lebanon. They do a remarkably efficient
job in getting what they do out of it. The average farmer
just manages to sustain his family, and has little left over.

12

I Syria average about $80 a year, debts
are always large and mortgages heavy.

Mostly the fanners live in small, compact villages built
around springs or near other sources of water. To you,
their methods may seem primitive, but at least one Amer-
ican conservation expert has said that their method of
terracing fields is one of the finest examples of soil con-
servation in the world. And their wooden plow is well
suited to the shallow, siony soil they have to work.

A large proportion of these dtsert farmers are share-
croppers or tenants, the land they till being held by land-
lords who sometimes control several or more villages and
vast acres of cultivable land.

M ^\^\> p

) CONQUEROR SL"

THE ARABIC LANGUAGE

SOME Syrians speak English, or at leasi a little English,
but the native language is Arabic and you will need to
know a little of it to get along well.

The Arahic language is spoken by millions of people
living throughout the coast of North Africa and the Near
Eastern countries. There are, of course, differences be-
tween countries in these regions both in the use of cer-
tain words and in the way ihty are pronounced. But these
differences are easy to understand and to learn. You
won't be able to rtad Arabic signs or books because they
use a different alphabet from ours.

You won't hj\e to learn many words since ineverj'day
Arabic a few simple words and phrases go a long way.
The majority of Syrians themselves use perhaps only a few
hundred words — and they get along pretty well on that.

At the end of this guide, you'll find a list of words and
phrases and some idea of how to pronounce them. Even
11 your pronunciation isn't too good, it will please the
Syrians to have you even attempt to talk to them in their
own tongue. And they'll like it especially if you use their
polite salutations — they are very polite themselves.

GETTING ALOMG WITH THE SYRIANS

THE Syrian people are friendly to us now. If Hitler's
agents should turn them against us, the consequences
might be very serious. They are the people who can
supply water if they like you-or poison the wells if they
don't. They can guide us through mountains and desert,
or lead us astray. They can tell us what the Germans are
doing when they like us, or tell the Germans what we are
doing if they don't like us. If they like us, they can get
rid of the German agents among their tribes. If they dis-
like us. the Germans might arm them and give us a lot
of grief.

Maybe you understand now why it is so important for
you to learn how to get along with the Syrians and \eep
them our friends.

You can do this chiefly by understanding their customs,

15

by treating them politely, and by being careful never to
offend ihem through carelessness or ignorance.

Courtesy. The Syrians make a gooJ deal of courtesy
and politeness. If a man should kiss your hand or raise his
fingers to his lips after shaking hands with you, don't
laugh. It is his way of paying you a compliment.

Americans slap each other on the back and jostle each
other in fun. Syrians do not. Avoid handling them and
do not cry to wrestle with thcni. Even if you think you
know them well, do not touch their bodies in any way.
Above all, nevilh strike a Syrian. They do not know
how to box. You might think you were just sparring and
knock a man down or even injure him. They would be
certain to misunderstand it ant! word would spread rap-
idly, as it does among people who don't read and who
rely on gossip for information, that Americans hit people
on the jaw. Besides, it is dangerous. Syrians, like most
people of this desert world, know how to use knives.
Never get angry at these people. It is one thing to issue
orders and gel them carried out; it is another to rub the
people the wrong way. Save your fighting for the enemy.
You're here to fight with these people against the Axis.

Manners. Private. Syrians, like most orientals, pay much
attention to good manners. Moslems do not let other peo-

16

pie see them naked. Do not urinate in their presence.
They do this squatting and dislike to see others do it
standing up. These things may seem trivial, but they are
important.

Manners, Public. You will find it difficult sometimes to
distinguish manners from religious practices. Many Syr-
ian customs are religious in their origin. Moslems live
their religion far more intensely than most of us do.
Begin by watching them carefully.

Social customs enter into not only your personal rela-
tions with Syrians you have met, but all public activities,
such as buying in the bazaars, eating and drinking in
public places, and the relations to women. Learn the
forms of address on meeting people and use them.

Understand that bargaining when making a purchase
is customary. It is part of the social life of these people.
They do not trade just for the money, but to meet with
people, learn their ways, practice their own skills and

judgments. To bargain intelligently is to show under-
standing in values. They may treble the price they expect
you to pay. If you pay it, they know you don't know the
real values. But bargain politely. Most of these tradesmen
know each other well and treat one another as host and ■
guest. Friendships result from trade. In the larger "west-
ernized" shops, there is usually a fixed price. So, you
won't have to haggle with them.

Hospitality. The result of such contacts may yield you
hospitality and friendship. It is customary for tradesmen
to offer customers coffee and cigarettes. Do not refuse.
Don't leave your coffee half drunk. Should you be offered
a second and even a third, take it. But it is considered
bad form to accept a fourth cup. If you Cake a fourth, or
refuse a second or a third, your host will put you down
as wanting in manners. This may seem absurd to you.
So what? Your customs seem just as absurd to him.

18

When in Rome, do as the Romans do, as the saying has
been for thousands of years.

A few things to remember about Moslem Syrians is that
they do not eat pork and they do not drink liquor. This
is a religious matter. Don't ask why. Respect it. You 11
see something about this religious question later. As a
social matter, politeness demands that you accept these
things without question. So do not drink liquor in their
presence. It offends them, especially, to see anyone drunk.
Even as a joke, don't offer or urge them to drink hquor

"Tfew rules are essential. Never touch the food until
your host has said grace ("BismiUah") and then not till
he has told you to. Eat only with your right hand--it is
considered very rude to use the left, even if you are a
southpaw. Do not cut native bread with a knife. Break
it with your fingers. A servant will come along with
basins and water for all to wash their hands after dinner.

Women You will not find Moslem women in the com-
pany Ladies generally remain hidden. It depends largely
on who your host is, of course. But among Moslems, par-
cicularly, women do not mingle freely w>ih men. The
greater part of their time they spend at home and m the
company of their own families. It is considered a very

13

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serious breach of manners to even inquire about the
women. So even if you are invited to a home, you will
not see much of the women.

In public, many Moslem women go veiled. If a woman
has occasion to lift her veil while shopping, do not stare
at her. Look the other way. Do not loiter near them
when at the bazaars. Do not try to photograph them. It
will cause trouble.

Never make advances to Syrian women or try to get
their attention on the streets or other public places. The
desert or village women may seem to have more freedom,
but they do not. Any advances on your part are sure to
mean trouble, and plenty of it. Syrians will immediately
dislike you if you do not treat their women according to
their standards and customs.

These rules are important. Don't ma\e a pass at any
woman. It will cause trouble. And anyway, it won't get

^<^.^vr^

you anywhere. Prostitutes do not walk the streets, but
have special quarters.

Religion. Questions regarding religion are as distasteful
to Syrian Moslems as are questions regarding women. It is
well to avoid any i(tnd oj religious discussion or argument.

Two-thirds of the Syrians are Moslems, and the re^
maining third are Christian. The Moslem community is
more or less set off by itself and recognized by its veiled
women, the sombre, dignified aspect of the men and by
their mosques. The distribution of Moslems and Chris-
tians is roughly according to the boundaries of Syria and
Lebanon. Lebanon is mostly Christian, while Syria is
mostly Moslem.

Both the Moslem and Christian groups are broken up
into subdivisions or sects. One of the more important
Moslem sects arc the Druze. The Druzc live in a semi-
desert section in the south part of Syria called Jebel Druze.
They keep very much to themselves, are a proud and
reserved people, and are noted for their daring and
bravery in warfare.

The Moslems follow the religion founded by Mo-
hammed. Do not call it the Mohammedan religion, for
they do not worship Mohammed as Christians worship
Christ. Mohammed is not God. Allah is God, and Mo-

21

hammed only His prophet. The religion is called Islam
and the people who follow it are called Moslems. There
arc five fundamental principles of Islam:

1. One God, and Mohammed the PROPHET.

2. Prayer five times a day.

3. Giving of alms.

4. Fast of Ramadan.

5. Pilgrimage to Mecca.

Moslems pray five times a day no matter where they
are at the moment of prayer. They bow in the direction
of Mecca in Arabia, the holy city of the Moslems. At
the mosque (mask) they how in prayer which consists
of reciting passages from the Koran, which is their Bible.
Giving of alms is a religious practice.

22

All true Moslems observe a month of fasting called
Ramadan. This period is similar to our Lent. In 1942,
Ramadan begins September 12. In 1943, it will be about
2 weeks earlier. During this period the Moslems do not
eat, drink, or smoke between sunrise and sunset. Do not
offer them food, or ask them to drink or smoke except
after dark. Respect all hesitations or refusals without
persuasion. Any drawing of blood at this time is to be
avoided. Even an accidental scratch or nosebleed in-
flicted on a Moslem by an unbeliever may have serious
consequences. Remember that the Moslems' tempers are
short during the strains of this month. They cannot be
expected to work efficiendy. So go easy on them. Respect
the observance of their holiday.

Steer clear of mosques. Never smoke or spit near a
mosque. To repeat a warning— a^-oirf any k.md of reli-
gious discussion or argument. After all, we are fighting
this war to preserve the principle of "live and let live."

Mecca. The fifth important ritual of Moslem religion is
the pilgrimage to Mecca. So vital is this to Moslems that
the railroad from Damascus to Mecca, in Arabia, started
in 1901 and completed in 1909, was built entirely from
subscriptions by the faithful from all over Islam to make

23

easier the pilgrimage to the holy city. No "unbeliever"
is ever permitted to enter Mecca.

How to Get Along in (he Villages. On entering a village or
farming district, there are definite rules of procedure in
regard to introductions. No matter how small the detach-
ment, the leader should find out whether or not the area
is controlled by a landlord, called a "matik il-ard" (maa-
lik il-ARD). If so, he should call on the landlord and seek
his cooperation and friendliness. If the area is controlled
by an absentee landlord, find out who is his representative,
or "wakeel" (wa-KEEL) and make yourself known to

Every village, whether or not it is controlled by a land-
lord, has its mayor, who is called the "mukhtar" (mukh-
tahr). On entering a village, the leader should introduce
himself to the mayor and call at his house. If he cannot
find the mayor, he should make himself known to the
eldest man in the village, or to the priest in a Christian
village, or the "imam" (I-maam) or "sheikh" (shaykh) in
a Moslem village.

You can usually tell a Christian village from a Moslem
village by the simple method of observing whether the
village possesses a church or a mosque. A mosque always
has a minaret or tower from which prayers are called.

24

If you find both a mosque and a church in a village, you
will know that the community is composed of both Chris-
tians and Moslems. In all probability, each group has its
own section of the village. If you find yourself in one of
these communities, be careful not to favor one group more
that the other. If you buy goods, for instance, be sure to
patroijize both groups. Treat, the priest and sheikh with

The friendliness and cooperation you will get depend
largely on your dealings with the influential citizens
who have been mentioned — the landlord, bailiff, mayor,
sheikh, or priest. They are the persons with the most
authority and are the respected members of the com-
munity. All transactions regarding supplies, quarters, etc.,
should be carried on through them. To disregard these
local leaders would be considered a serious breach of
Syrian etiquette and would incur the ill will of the whole

communiiy. So treat the local leaders with respect at all
times and entertain tlietn whenever possible. Another
helpful person is the village watchman, the ''natour"
(naa-toor). The watchmen are usually well informed
on the local geography and gossip. They are often the .first
to know of unusual happenings and can thus be very use-
ful to you. But remember that it is the watchman's busi-
ness to be suspicious of strangers. Therefore you must win
his trust before he is willing to help you. A suspicious
watchman will often give you false information purposely.
This also holds true of the local leaders if they mistrust
you. At all times it is to your advantage to make friends!
Here are a few things to remember in winning the friend-
ship of the villagers:

Respect village property. Keep to paths and roadways.
Do not enter cultivated fields or take fruits and vege-
tables from orchards and gardens. Villagers depend on
these crops for their living. Their margin of reserve is
very sHm. Do not gather fuel without permission. It also
IS limited. Each and every tree has its owner and wood-
lots are sometimes the properly of the village. Sometimes
the groves are considered holy and no person may touch
the wood. It is even considered improper to sit under the
shade of a tree. The Syrians themselves mosdy use dried
animal dung for fuel. Learn to use this,

26

How To Get Along in the Desert. If you are in the desert,
remember tliat every bit of land is the property of some
specific group of tribesmen. The leader of your unit
should discover to what tribe or group the land belongs

and seek out and pay a call on the sheikh or headman.
Always try to obtain permission before taking water from
desert wells. The Syrians have complicated water rights.
Never be wasteful of water. It is their most valuable pos-
session. It is likely to be yours, too.

27

The tribesmen admire courage and resourcefulness.
Let them see that you have these qualities. They will be
grateful of any generosity you can show them, such as
a lift along the road. Whenever possible, give the men
and children empty tins or other items you :an part with.
A discarded gasoline can, for example, is considered a
proud possession.

Mercy from God"
— Arai> proverb

CLIMATE AND SANITARY CONDITIONS

THE climate of the coastal portion of Syria is a good deal
like that of Southern California. The winters are cool,
but not cold, with some rain, while the summers are
warm and sunny. Orange and olive groves abound.

Back of the coastal plains stand the forested Lebanon
Mountains (remember the cedars of Lebanon in the
Bible?) which are covered with snow in ihe winter.
Skiing is a new and popular sport here.

In the valley or "central depression" between the Leba-
non and Anti-Lebanon mountains, the climate is some-
what drier than the coast, and irrigation is often
sary. The winters are colder and the summers
This valley, however, is fertile and well cultivated.
Wheat and other cereals are its principal crops.

Unlike the forested Lebanons, the Anti-Lebanon range
is bleak and barren, without much rainfall. It is a fitting
approach to the desert, which stretches eastvi/ard from
its foothills. Though this desert occupies by far the greater
portion of Syria, it is only sparsely inhabited in compari-
son with the rest of the country, because of its unfriendly
and unfertile character. Yet the Syrian desert is not like
the great Sahara desert in Africa, all sand and wasteland,
but more like the deserts of the southwestern United

29

States — a stony soil covered with light vegetation, and
with waterholes at fairly frequent intervals.

In a strategic way, the desert is perhaps the most im-
portant part of Syria to the United Nations, because
across it run the great pipelines from the oil fields of
Iraq to the Mediterranean, and also because of its position
as the gateway to Persia and India beyond.

Sanitary Conditions. In genera!, Syria is a healthful coun-
try. It even hopes some day to become known as the
health resort of the Mediterranean, Slili, sanitary condi-
tions in many parts of the country are not like those
we are accustomed to, and certain precautions must not
be neglected. A little knowledge may help to avoid

Keep your hat on when you are in the summer sun
in Syria. In this kind of a climate it is very easy to let
yourself be burned and think nothing of it. But next
day you are likely to wake up with black blisters and
possibly fever and delirium. It is not necessary to wear
a sun helmet; a service hat is usually suf&cient. But what'

ever you wear, be sure that it shades the back of your
neck as well as the top of your head. If you expose the
back of your neck you are inviting sunstroke. Protect
your eyes too.

In the desert, be prepared for extremes of temperature.
The days are very hot. The nights can be very cold.

Boil your drinking water or see that it is properly
chlorinated. There is adequate pure water in the cities
of Beirut and Damascus (though not the open river
water in the latter city, which is impure).

Avoid eating unwashed lettuce and other raw un-
washed vegetables. They may be contaminated by human
excrement. Outside the cities, little progress has been
made in sanitation. Wash raw fruits or peel them before
eating them, because the skins may have become con-
taminated by flies or by human contact. Keep all food
away from flies.

If you keep to these rules you will have a good chance
of avoiding typhoid, paratyphoid, and dysentery— -all com-
mon diseases in Syria. If you do get dysentery or diarrhea,
cut your diet and include plenty of "Icben" (LE-ben).
Leben is a sour milk product and is one of the most health-
ful dishes of the country. It can be mixed with water and
drunk as a cooling drink. Y(
and it will relieve dysentery.

31

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Do not tlrink unboiled milk at any timt:.

Malaria is quite prevalent in Syria. It is carried by a
particular kind of mosquito which breeds in marshy
areas, uncovered wells and cisterns, and in shallow water
pools along the scacoast. If at all possible, stay away from
areas where malaria is common. When you can't do this,
sleep under nets and keep your arms and legs covered,
especially at dusk.

Sandflies, which are smaller than mosquitoes and
which can get through an ordinary inosquito net carry
a slight three-day fever which is not serious but is weak-
ening. It is known as sandfly fever. Sandflies are most
prevalent in midsummer. Coating yourself with a light
oil will give you some protection from them.

Venereal disease is fairly widespread in Syria. Don't
take chances.

These are some general health suggestions. Your medi-
cal and sanitary officers will give you others.

CURRENCY, WEIGHTS, MEASURES, ETC.

Syrian Currency. The rate of exchange of Syrian money
to United States currency varies, so that the table below
can only give approximate ratios. The principal unit of
currency is the Syrian pound, which is worth 460 in
American money and is divided into 100 "piastres" {pee-
AS'turz) or "irsh" (the Arabic word for piastre). The
approximate values of the various piastre pieces are given
below. An easy way to remember Syrian currency is to
think of each piastre as being worth just about half of
an American cent.

I pound (u>o pi^s:ns) = j,6i ; pmsfri (called "J lm„c") =

U. S, 2t u. s.

JO pla!lrel=2-i( U. S. / fiaslre^'Ai U. S.

jj p;j«r,/=tM- U. S. i4 piastre^ V,^ U, S

,0 pkUKS^Si- U. S.

Palestinian Currency. In some parts of the country you
vvill also run into Palestinian currency, so you had better
know something about its value, too. The principal unit
of Palestinian currency is the Palestinian pound, which
is worth approximately $4.00 in American money and is
divided into 1,000 "mils." Like the Syrian piastre, each
mil is worth aiiout half of an American cent. The table

3S

below will give you the approximate rates of exchange ot
the various mil pieces.

I pound (1.000 mils)=$4.00 ,0 mlls=i(f U. S.

U. S. S ,mls=li U. S.

100 niih^^of U. S. 2 mili^nM V. S.

50 ™Jj = 2oC U. S. 1 mil='Af U. S.
20 m,(/=8(' U. S.

The Moslem Calendar. The official calendar o£ Syria is
ihe same as ours. It is used for all business transactions.
But the Moslems reckon time by a lunar (moon) cal-
endar. So a given date in the Moslem calendar will vary
trom one year to the next on our calendar. The lunar
calendar is of no importance to us except in telling the
time when Ramadan will occur. Ramadan is the Moslem
Lent, about which you have read earlier in this guide.

Weights and Measures. The metric system is used for all
official measurements of distance and area in Syria. The
unit of length in the metric system is the "meter"
{meet-ur). which is 311.37 inches, or a lilde more than
our yard. The unit of road distances is the "kilometer"
{\ill-oh-meet-ur), which is 1,000 meters or Vt (a little
over a half) of one of our miles.

The unit of square measure is the "htet.Tre" {hecl{-
tair), which consists of 10,000 square meters or about 2V1

of our acres. A local square measure is the "dunum" (dl--
nim), which is equal to 1,000 square meters or about '/i
of an American acre.

The unit of weight in the metric system is the '"kilo-
gram" (l{ill-ok-g!am), which equals 2.2 pounds in our
system. A local measure is the "rotl" (ruhti). This unit
varies from one locality to another. It ranges from about
•yVi to 6^/2 pounds.

Liquids in the metric system are usually measured by
Ihe "liter" {lee-tur), A liter is a liltle more than one of
our liquid quarts.

SOME IMFORTAHT DO'S AND DON'TS

Don't enter mosques.

Never smoke or spit in front of a mosque.

If you come near a mosque, keep moving and don't

Keep silent when Moslems are praying and don't stare.

Discuss something else — never religion or women

with Moslems.

Avoid ofiering opinions on internal politics.

Shake hands with Syrians; otherwise don't touch them
or slap them on the back.

Remember that the Syrians are a very modest people
and avoid any exposure of the body in their presence.

37

Start eating only after your host has begun.

Eat with vour right hand— never with your lelt. even
if you ;ire a southpaw.

Always break bread with your fingers — never cut it.

Bread to the Moslems is holy. Don't throw scraps of it
about or let it fall on the ground.

Leave some food in the bowl — what you leave goes to
the women and children.

Eat only part of the first course — there may be four
or five more coming.

Don't give Moslems food containing pork, bacon or
laid, or cooked in pork products.

Don't eat pork or pork products in front of Moslems.

Be pleasant if Moslems refuse to cat meat which you
ofier. They may consider it religiously unclean.

Don't give Moslems alcoholic drinks.

Drink liquor somewhere else — never in the presence of
Moslems.

Knock before entering a house. Tf a woman answers,
wait until she has had time to retire.

Follow the rule of your host. If he takes off his shoes
on entering the house, do the same.

If you are required to sit on the floor in a Syrian house
or tent, cross your legs while doing so.

When visiting, don't overstay your welcome. The third
glass of tea or coffee is the signal to leave unless you are
quartered there.

Don't bring a dog into the house.

Be kind to' beggars. They are mostly honest unfor-
tunates. Give them some small change occasionally.

When you see grown men walking hand in hand,
ignore it. They are not "queer."

Be kind and considerate to servants. The Syrians are
a very democratic people.

Avoid any expression of race prejudice.

Talk Arabic if you can to the people. No matter how
badly you do it, they like it.

Shake hands on meeting and leaving.

On meeting a Syrian, be sure to inquire after his
health.

If you wish to give someone a present, make it sweets
or cigarettes.

If you are stationed in the country, it is a good idea to
take sweets and cigarettes with you when you visit a
Syrian's house.

Show respect toward all older persons. If serving food,
the oldest person should be served first.

Be polite. Good manners are essential among the

Syrians. Be hospitable to Syrians whenever possible. Do
not turn away callers. Serve them coffee or tea.

Bargain on prices. Don't let shopkeepers or merchants
overcharge you; but be polite.

Be generous with your cigarettes.

Above all, use common sense on all occasions. And
remember that every American soldier is an unofficial
ambassador of good will.

^^v d

HINTS ON PRONOUNCING ARABIC

THESE are pronunciation hints to help you in listening
to the Arabic language records which have been supplied
to your troop unit. They will also help you with the
pronunciation of additional words and phrases given in
the vocabulary below, which are not included in the
records.

Arabic is spoken over a great area in North Africa and
the Near East. There are some differences between re-
gions, both in pronunciation and the use of words. The
dialect and words you are going to hear on this set of
records arc Syrian and Palestinian and yoii will be un-
derstood in Syria and Palestine and in the cities of
Trans-Jordania and in Cairo and the Egyptian Delta
region. If you should go on to other regions, where other
of Arabic are spoken, you will be given further
me. Don't worry about that now.
rery difficult about Arabic — except
uiac you won i oe able to read Arabic signs and news-
papers you will see. That is because they use a different
alphabet from ours. Therefore, the instructions and vocab-
ulary below are not based on the written Arabic lan-
guage, but are a simplified system of representing the
language as it sounds. This system contains letters for
all the sounds you must make to be understood. It does

41

information at that t:
There is nothing i

not contain letters for some of the sounds you will hear,
but it will give you enough to get by on, both listening
and speaking.
Here are a few simple rules to help you:

1. Accents. You know what the accented syllable of
a word is, of course. It is the syllable which is spoken
louder than the other syllables in the same word. We
will show accented (loud) syllables in capital letters and
unaccented syllables in small letters.

2. Vowels. These are the kind of sounds we represent
in English by a, e, i, o, «, ah, ay. ei, oi, etc. Just follow
the key below and you will have no trouble.

a or A equals ihe a in pal usually, but if the inan you arc

talking to doesn't seem to get you at first, try
sounding it like the o in poi; sonieiimes it
is pronounced that way. There is no fixed
rule. You'll just have to listen and Itarn.
(liN.iiiiplt: iij-HAM-ni meaning "do you

AA equals tlic a in demand— iiat stretch (lengthen) il.

(l^samplf: WAA-hid meanbg "one.")
AH equals the a in jalhcr — but stretch it. (Example:

NAll-'diii meaning "yes-")
AI equals the i" in aisle— hw stretch it. (Example;

Al-u/a meaning "yes.")
AY equals the ay in day — but stretch it. (Example;

WAYN meaning "where.")

in Eni-lish 111
shj,!it ihem IIi
to learn

1 the mv in now. (Example: AU-u/al meaning

■■first".)
i tiK e in pel. (E.xample: WE-led meaning

■'br>v.")
: the ee in feet— bar sirctcli it. (Example: ya-

SUE-d, meaning "sir.")
. the / in pit. (Example; ya-SIT meaning

"madam.")

the o in go — but stretch it. (Example: /a-
SOL-ya meaning "beans.")

the CO in ioo/— but stretch it. (Example:

SI/00 IS-mal( meaning "what is your name.")

the II in put. (Example: ii'-ZVR-ni meaning

the t, in/;// (L\ample mm FUFD /a^ mem
m« pkase >

The consonants are all the sounds that
Pronounce them just as you know them
should be pronounced Never
3mt spicial consonant sound';

rds

aring \our throat when )ou haie to
. on the rcLords

lu garble Li.t

iretulb

sh is like ihe sh in iliow.

(') is 10 be pronounced like a slishl cough. Listen circfully for il
(in ihc records. WIiliicvlt it is indicaictl. prooouncc il clearly,
but do not pronounce it even accidentally where il is not indi-
cated, or you will be misuiidcrsiood.

s is always pronounced like the j in hiss.

LIST OF MOST USEFUL WORDS AND PHRASES

HERE is a list of the most useful words and phrases you
will need in Arabic. You should Icain these by heart.
They are the words and phrases included on the Arabic
language records, and appear here in the order they occur
on the records.

CrMlfnsi and Ganwal PhratM

Eng\hh—Simplijicd Arabic Spelling

G™-,t <\:,y—na-H.hl-rA <«-

Tli.ink you (lo a m

:^)—KAT

■F.ED

/u'- KHAYR-ak

Go.id evening— M^-jfl/ KH^YR

Thank y.iu (lo a

woman)—

Sir— ya SEE-di

K.IT-iar KHAYR

k

Madam— )fl SIT

T),ank you (to mo

U\ii—AA-m-.sa

person)— K^r-far

KHAYR

Please {to a min)—min-FUHD-

lium

l.l(

W^^NAH-'am

Please (lo a woman)— min-

No— L///f

FVHD-lili

I)o vou undcrslan

me— ^,/.

Please (to more than one pci-

HAM-ni

saa)—min-FUHD-il-^un,

I don't undersiand-

Ew:use me (to a man)— «'-

FA4-him

ZUR-ni

Please speak s 1 o

w 1 y—min

Excuse me (to a wo-nan)-r,--

FUHD-h/t. "i-k

SHWAI

zur-EE-ni

SHWAI

Excuse me (to more than one

Wlure is— II'.JVjV ihc riiilroad sinion— IC^YJV

,, rcinurjnt— TC^y.V 11- ii-nia-HAT-la

MAr-\mi a \.m\a—WAYN BAYT it-

a liottl— if.JVA* :l-0-T.lYL MA}

Drreclions
Turn I i B h l— DOOR Ul-ya- Siraifiln ahead— DUGH-n

MEEN Pl<^3«: paw— mm FUHD-lai;.

Turn left— DOOR Ush-MAAL jar-ZHEE-ni

Distances arc given in kilometers, not miks. One kilometer
4 of a mile.

,1-RAAT

Number!

Oaii—WAA'hid Vimr—AR-ba-a

Two—it-NAYN nve—KHAM-si

Three— TL^/J-/i

But when you use the numbers wilh other words
happens :
One kilometer— *fe-/o-A/7-

WAA-hiii

Two kilometers — kcc-io-mil-

RAYN
Three kilometers— TL^ /J 7 k"-

lo-mil-RAAT

F<.ur kilomcltrs— /(R-ia' k"-h

mir-KAAT
Five kilometers— K//.-/JV/S /(k

lo-mit-RAAT
Six—SIT-li
Se\cii~-SAB-'a
-E\i:hi—TMAA-m
Nine— T/S-'a
ren—-ASH-ra

But notice again:
Six kilometers — SIT l(ec-lo-niil-

HAAT
Seven kilometers- S^-i,' Ics'-

lo-mil-RAAT
Eight kilometers — la-MAAN

kcc-lo-mil-RAAT
Nine kilometers- TZ-ii' kee-lo-

vul-RAAT
Ten kilometers— '^-jAflr ^ec-Zo-

mil-RAAT

From eleven on, the same
iting is used with the simple

kilomi

<r-ba--

TASH k."'lo-MI-!ii
Filleen kilometers — kjia-niis-

TASH k."'lo-MI-lir
Sixteen kilometers — lir-TA'SH

kte-h-Ml-t,r

.meters — m-bi'-

TASH k"-lo-MI-lir

Seven

TASH kec-lo-MI-iir
rwenty kilometers— 'i>A-R££A/
kfe-h-MI-c!r

Far "twenty -one," "ihirty-
wo," and so fonh, you add the
imple form of the numbers to
he words for " twenty" and

form of the word a

Eleven kilometers— iA-D/C5H

kie-h-MI'lir
Twelve kilometers— K-JV^'5H

k^c-h-MI'lir
Thirteen kilomeiers- //az-T^'SH

kei-lo-MI-U

Twenty-one kilometers- H'^//-
hid i,-'ish-REEN /(ee-lo-MI-Ur

Thirty kilometers — lla-TEEN
lice-!o-MI-iir

Thirty-two kilometer s— ,/-
NAY-N H-lla-TEEN k^c-lo-

k I Ml

Fifty k I m

k I Ml

ba-'EEN
SEE'J

f h i a li ti
d

d ed— iWEE TAYN

Two hundred kilometers— MEE-

TAYN k'C-lo-MI-Ur

For 250 jou say "couple o£
hundreds and fifty":

For 255 yo" ™o"''' '"V "'^""^
pie hundreds, five and fifty":

255 kdometers— MEE-T^yW „■
Ifhoms ,,'k.ham-SEEN k."-h-

But tor 555 yo"

"five hundred and five and

fifty":

555 kilometers— ^Aflin* Ml-yi "-

libams u-lil'im-SEEN k'e-la-

Ml-llr
1000 kilometers — clj liee-Io-Ml-

What is— 5H00. AYSfJ

this—H-iA-iia
What's this— 5H00 HAA-da or

AYSH HAA-da
I warn— fl/D ./;

clyorelici— B/D-(J( fa-C^^-

10 i^M—BID-di O-h'l

BTQid—KHU-hiz
l-imi—FlVAA-^i
Water— W /J/

Steak- 5T<(YK
Ui^i—LA-Aitn
Potatoes — ba-TAH-las
Rice— iH!

Uejns (navy)— /o-SOL-ya
Beans (horse)— fOOL
Fish— 5^/-mfl^
Salad— S.-l-/a-/fl
Milk— Au-LFEB

Beer- BEE-ra

A glass of hea—KAAS BEE-ra

A cup of coHee—f'n-ZHAAN

■Ah-wi

To find out how much tilings
cost you say:
How mMc'a.—'ad-DAYSH

cosls—bi-KAL-hi

this — HAA-da
Hiiw much does this cost— '111/-

DAYSH bi-KAL-lil HAA-da

pounAi—UR-TAYN

■■ K—-ad-DAYSH

RU-bi-
Half past si

Twenty of eight is said "seven
and two thirds" or "eight ex-
cept one third":
Twenty of eight— SAB-'a ,,-ml-
TAYN or TMAA-ni IL-la
TULT
Quartet ol— IL-la RU-bi'
Quarter of txvo— ir-.VWVJV IL-
la RU-hr

linutes to three— TLAA-li

IL-la -ASH-ra
At what time — Al-ya SAY-'a

the movie— is-Sl-aa-ma

sKtns—ii-TlB-da
At what time does the movie

start— -^;-ytf SAY-a' bi-TIB-

da is-SI-na-nia
The train— i/-TK^YK
lt:ive— i/-5^^-^r
At what time does the train

leave— ^;-ya SAY-'a bl-SAA-

fir il-TRAVN
TiHijy—d-YOM
Ttimariiiw—BUK-ra

Sunday— yOM il-HAD
Monday— yOA/ li-\'AYX
Tuesday— VO.l/ ii-TLA.I-i^
Wednesday- Y(L1.V( il-A!<.-l/<i-\

Thursdaj'— YfJW il-^lia-MEKS
Friday— yOAf il-ZMVM-'a
Saturday- yOM is-SEBT

What is your name <io a

\hh—FEE HA-da HON

man)— SHOO IS-nial;

BYlA-'ii ir-CLEE-si

Wha. is your n;,nic (io a

Goodbye {by person leaving)—

woman)— JHOO IS-,>,ili

b!-KHAHT-rak

My name i^lS-,m

Goodbye (by person replying)—

Does anyone litrt speak Eng-

ma-'is-sa-LAA-mi

GLOSSARV

[English-

-An hie \

bank (of n-.^rl—s/iuhl

spring (walet-hole, eic.)—

Jarkness— ZL/L-m,

■^JV

daylimc (lighr)— no-H.'JHR

the stars-^n-ZHOO.W (plural;

deicn—BA/i-ilia

Nl-shim (singular,

ddd—HA-'ll, taarzh (plain)

stream— ZH//D-^fl/

fi c~NAHR

ihe sun— )>A-SH^iWS

io Cit (wood )—lmrsh

wind— H^-«'a

day— yOiW

day after tomorrow— /-aV BUK-

g a — Aa 5H£EiH
the g ounii— a«/

gully ( a n )— Z//0-™

day before ycstetda\— J £/■««/

hll— /

im-BAA-rik

lak— fl^/arfl

evening— ,Vf /I -/fl

month— 5H^-A<>

moun a n—ZHE-bd

morning— 5t;-*(^

Ihc 3n—lBA-l,ar

nigh!— L^YL

an—SHl J

week— ZHW/--»

I r—\1/mr

year- 5/-«/

onths a

Ihe Year

\3nu3ry—KAA-N00N

TAA-m

AuKUsI- ^;.ffl

¥i\>rii3ry—SHBAHT

September— ./V-LOOZ,

Usicb—AA-DAHR

Oalober—lliA-REEN AU-wal

Apzil—NEE-SAAN

November— riii-REEN TAA-m

May— Al-YAHR

December— K A A-^OON All-

]Mn^~l,a-ZAY-RA/N

ied

juiy—TEM-MOOZ

RelatiD

nthfps

h^>y—IVE-tcd or SUIJ-h

in3n—n<:A.ZHAAL or Z^-ia-

brother- fltA or KHAI

»H (slang)

child— WE-led

mother— ;w

daughter— ij'n/

sister— „i:/»

father— J -ioo

son- /-i,n

girl— *;„/

«uinan— ,lW-ra

Human

Body

3Tn,s—DRAA--AYN

head— ft^Hi

back— D^-Acr

leg— S^J^-

eye— '^W

finger- I/S-4fl'

no^c—mim-KHAHR

loot— IZH-ir

teeth — SNA AN

hnir—SHA-'ir

me—VS-ba- IZH-Jr

hand— iTED

usa and

Furniture

bed—FE!l-s/,i

r„oni— O-rffl

blanket— A- A'.-frfM

Mair-.— O..J.,v,eA

chair— KUA'-,-,

stovi— (twking place)— 50-*fl

door— S^^B

ubk— T,mii'-/;

drinking water— .1 /.-J/ -y//

SUV-

wall— «^/VT

r„b

ivaic^r for washing- My*/ W-

iiouse—BAYT

GHVH-iil

kitehei.-,U//r-tfl^A

windo w—s/inb-BAAK

uiier— z;s-rfi

Dranjies — biir-dii- 'AAK

bbaBC—"'fl'-f oof

orange juice— 'i-^EfR /<

uli(i,nwr — ■fl.--™-B/r;iT or

■^^.v

■/.IH-ri,

pll'c— i,'An/-yO.V

^,K!i,!K^— /-V-iA/J

i^„i;,!,,[ i.iii-y.iiik

,i,,__l//7,/,

jri!i.d iiiilh,— ;,.(-.'■■.;/!

.,;;_,,.— .SU^'-^ar

„d—J-/iU (L-.>okwl ii>.>.l) :«-

uj— i/Y^/H-;

BEEKH

wtxiL-co— i/(-:tA-KH.4.JA

apes— V-nrti

loniatncs — ban-DO O-ra

nions--L.iy-.UOO.V

turnips-V,yr

clous— fei/-r£;rK/v

>vmc— <j-flEro

Surro

ii»i)lnE>

1 —ZHI

sl»,|, Uioie)—,i,.l(-KAAA

h— -t \fe£

f,rcct~SHAA-n-

— m /J£t B !-hi/

umv,LS!-«a-ma

1 —ZHiA

UMn—BAL-da

h ( 1 1 1~ lf.«

vilbKC— VIA'-J-y or DAY--

IT — BOi

y.-<:\]—BEER

1 pi —M-IKHI

hottfl— O-T/JVL ... lo-KA

h k (1 )—ZH4'izhi

pig — i,hln-ZEER

Stic^-diih-BAAN

\kiy~'A-,»d

Rt3i—ba-RAA-GHEET

$pkkr—\w-/ia-BOOT

mosq uiiocs— Wyi,^ -MOOS

btflbuj^s — hii'

b:iker—ltlia/'-BAAZ

a^ok—'ASH-M

barber— yi,(/-L-(,'I'

iarm.:,— If l-l. A Ah

blac ksm ith— /»/(/- D./ // D

shiicmaUef— ^f,n-D. .'R-,-A

buichor— Ju-i-H^.:)A(

ailoi—lihai-YAHT

Rr^i—AV-u-al

sL-conJ— r.j,;-™;

third— TAA-li!

iounh—KAH-bi'

M'.h—KHAA-niis

s[xih—SAA-</is

scvcnih—SAA-/>r

cighxh—TAA-mn

hek—s:,n-NAHR or KA-mar

baoa—ZHEZ-mi

coal— SAH-li^o

sloMCi—KrOOF

h3l—b::r-NAY-l^

SKckw—gra-VAAT or KAB-ic

sian—'a-MEES

xt> —

u-ru.K

eveiilj

~-M-ha--EEN

.Khty-

-la-mu-NEEN

intiy-

-!is--EEN

sa-RAH-m,

Hlks-

kal-SAAT
—ZHER-=i

~kiu-la-Ln.V

nd,Ts

iii—iiMI-ES

lah-TAA

good— TAI-yib or KWAI-yii or

ini-LEEH
bad— ifl/-rjHL
big— k'-BEER
small— ifl-GHEER
kii—SHMJAL or ya-SAHR
i\ck—ma-REED or ■ai-'/AAN
w<:ll— T^;-y;i or r.i.:h-S0OT
hungry— ZHO-'^^W

black— --IS-w.!^
\{i\t—UHB-yHhd

leA^Ah-'r.
blue— ^Z-ri

high— -^H-Zi

low— H'^W-'i

d cep — -gha-MKE'

shallow— m)>A gAa-MEE' (noi

tol.t— B^^-r/rf (ihing) nr bar-

DAAN (person)
hot— 5H0fl (weather) SU-l(Aii'i

(thing) SHO-BAAN (person)
wci- ffl.i/>-L00t
Aty—NAA-!hij
xpcnsivc — GHA A -h
chap— ir-KHF.ES
empty- F-^H-i^r ur FAA-ngk
full— Jnfl/-y^/JjV

he— HOO
she— HEE
they— Aum

i\M—ha-DAAK
ihoii^l'H-DO-LEEK
wh<>— jWEEJV
what-^HOO or AYSH

thest— Aa-OOL

54

in— EEE

up xo—li-HAD

of— n./n

with- mfl- or */-

Adn

rb»

above— rO'

nejr- j/jemi (adv.) or a-REiTB

■A^iin—ku-MAAN MAR-ra

(adj.)

behmJ— IF^-™

on that s\de—'A-k :hcmb Im-

besldi— 3/ifwA
beiow— (fl/j;

DAAK
on this sidt^'.^-/fl zhcmb HAA-

tar— *fl-'EED

da

her^-HOW

lUci':—hu-NAAK

m trom-'iid-DAMI

'^cy—ili'TEEK

less— fl--.-*L

when— B'.iVA' or FAYN

mae—AKur or ka-MAAN

C

nlun

CtlDHl

and- H/a or »-

or— /lU or tflL-la

but— L^^-tin

that— In

if— /-J« or I-ZH or LAV

Phras

(for

Every Day

How do you say ... in Aral

t?

T.kIjv l^ [he fifrh nl June- /7-

f.'EEE hit--OOL ... hil --A

u-

YOM KHAM-.^i \h-ZA\-

bi

RAAS

What date is t..day.>— arf-

,,-TLAA-ia
Come hea— /a-VM/, L-Wj.V

DAYSH il-VOM?

What day of thr wec'k

C-.i.ie 4Uitkly— U-',i^L i-

^YSH ji-yaw?

WAAM

Co quickly-— ROOA a-WAAM ZHEE-/>a MJl lii/i-SHURB

Whu arc you?— (to n>orc ihan one)

\f!-:EN iat (ro a man) Brinf some food—

MEEN IN-n (to a woman) ZHEEB I-sAi lil-A-h't (lo a

SIEEN IN-m (to more than man)

one) ZIIEE-ii I-shi lil-A-k.it (lo a

What do you want?— womjn)

SHOO BID'dali (to a man) ZHEE-bi, l-shi lil-A-kft (to

SHOO BID-dik. (to a wojiun) more than one)

AySH BID-kiim (to more How far is the camp?— arf-

than one) DAYSH BYlB-'id it-KAMB

[ding some drinking water — How far is the waitr?— oi/-

ZHEEB MAI lish-SHURB (to DAYSH bi-TJB-'id il-MAl

a man) Whose house is this?— ^/-A/fEN

ZHEE-hi MAI Ush-SHVRB ial-BAYT

(to

m)

Walghti

,,,rf_S„u,h Palestine, 6.;6 lbs.; O'-'fl— 2.817 lbs-

North Palestine, 5.653 lbs. KEE-LO — t kilograin (i.jnjfi

O-'EE-u— South Palestine, D.53 lbs. avd.)

lbs.; North Palestine. 0.471 liihn (pronounced like Enp.

lbs. ton)— I ton (metrte). or

■un-TAHR — South Palestine, 2204.6 lbs.

635.921 lbs.; North Palestine,

565.159 lbs.

Note: The metric system is in official use in Syria, but the old
Arab weights still are used. Both in Palestine and in Syria these
wdghts vary considerably from place to place and will have to be
learned by experience.

DK/l^' or f£E/;—26.67 inches kz-'lo-MI-lir—i kilometer (54

(doih measure); 29.84 in. of a mile or jiKo.S feet).

(building and land measure). AfEE/.— mile.

DU-num— 1099.505(1 scjuarc A/EE-/ii— meter (39.37 inches).

yards (land measure), or

1600 sq. DRAAS.

OlitancM

It IS often fuide to ttj to hnd , ut exact distantcs from the
[(Ljjums bcLlllSL ihe\ h3\c little idea of j,.>.uraie expression 1 he>
rtdl ottm rcpK ilut a place is ' t\vo cigarettes auaj, or about
20 minutes (the time it takes lo smoke one cigarttte about lu
rmnuub) Or the> nu\ rcplj that a place is so minj hours awas,
bi which thc\ mean hours trjuhng b\ hor« donkev or camel
More sophisiiuied Aribs cypress distance m metirs 01 kilometers
or perhaps mdcs

half a

I (Palestine), about

ir-SHAYN—

(8

I P""""!. 5H/L-to— shilling (5 I
ta--REE-la—^ mils (Palestine), (20 cents).

also called IMS 'irsk, half a LEE-ra. WA-ra-'a~pou n d

"■ '" (S4.02).

(■o

(4

Its;.

ms tt-'iih-REEN -irsh—iLs
bsKrs {II c-nu).
m-SEEN ■irsh—so piasiers
23 cen.s).
l-ra, \VA-ra-'a — pound {46

Translation — greetings to svria and

FROM AMERICA
OF THE WL6T TO THE OLDEST LAND

Date Due

I_lan40i.

" L

^1

f^l