A Blog by Brian Lee Rouley

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Qadi or Qaf or Qaid

There are times, I suppose, when even the most respected of authors, book sellers, publishers, or what have you, will “let you down and leave you flat.” I quoted that, because it’s a line from a Beatles song.

Every one of these words is about some Muslim thing or is an Arabic letter, so I don’t have much use for the definitions, or the words, for that matter. 

If you look down the column, (by that, I mean the first column in the Q section) you’ll see another entry for qasida, an Arabic poem, unually in monorhyme, that may be satirical, elegiac, threatening, or laudatory. That’s just great. I won’t be using that, either. And, yes, I had to look up “elegiac” - which means mournful - how sad!

Also, Webster made me do the work, to find out the definition for Caid, which was the only definition of Qaid. Only thing is, I now have new information about two words for a Muslim tribal chief, judge, or senior official. So, if I ever find myself in a situation where this knowledge is useful, I’ll have it.

That was sarcasm, which almost never translates well with the written word. 

It’s a good thing I’m writing this for me. At least someone here gets my humor!