@article{dirbas2019naming author = {Hekmat Dirbas}, title = {Naming of Slave-girls in Arabic: A Survey of Medieval and Modern Sources}, journal = {Zeitschrift für arabische Linguistik}, volume = {2019}, number = {69}, year = {2019}, keywords = {slave-girls;Islam;concubines;naming;narrative sources;music;papyri}, abstract = {A survey of medieval and modern Arabic sources suggests that naming of slave-girls reflects their background and function. Whereas women who were enslaved in adulthood mostly kept their original names, which were similar to the ones used for free Muslim women, those who were born in slavery or purchased in childhood had typical slave names. The slave-girl in this latter category could have a descriptive name (based on her skin colour or similar qualities) or a name indicating an object, wish, fortune, or sexual desire. The latter pattern particularly applies to singing slave-girls of the caliphs and the elite, among them being the female transvestites. Despite the disappearance of slavery, many typical slave-girls’ names are still freely used for females in the Arab world.}, url = {https://doi.org/10.13173/zeitarabling.69.0026} doi = {10.13173/zeitarabling.69.0026} }