New to me. Another word for Near East custom of isolating wormen.
zenana [zɛ'nɑːnə]
noun (in the East, esp. in Muslim and Hindu homes) part of a house reserved for the women and girls of a household
[ETYMOLOGY: 18th Century: from Hindi zanana, from Persian, from zan woman
Thou speakest sooth, oh Doc, perhaps except for the notion that it is 'Near East' (though I'm not sure how you define that). Since the word originated in India, and the practice is/was common enough in the country, I'd suspect that more than just the Near East is implicated.
cheer
the sunshine warrior
>perhaps except for the notion that it is 'Near East' (though I'm not sure how you define that).
Well, I would have to define "Near(est) East" as Chile.
And here I was thinking that, since the Middle-East includes Israel, the near East would have to be from Greenwich to Turkey. Shows how you can get these things wrong without clear thinking, eh? Mea culpa. Mea maxima culpa.
I had the impression it was Muslim countries, Iran,Iraq, Turkey, Syria. At least in the context. Cliché used to be Near East Mediterranean region, West Indies north east coast of S.America. I have trouble adjusting to name changes. My ignorance of India is massive.
Ignorance of India is forgivable. My only point was that the zenana system was very common in India as it was likely to be in the world's second largest Muslim country (see the little ding-dong Maahey and I had about this on the 'Pakistan is not a Muslim country' thread).
If you're interested, try to find a classic black and white Hindi film like 'Chaudvin ka chand' (dir. Guru Dutt) or 'Sahib, Bibi aur Ghulam' (also by Guru Dutt) to see how the system worked in the 'great houses' of Muslim India.
cheer
the sunshine warrior
Dear Shanks: there are several words for segregation of women. Purdah comes to mind. Any important differences among them?
In India, 'purdah' generally refers to the veil that the women wear, or the act of putting a thin curtain, or screen, between the women and the men. The zenana, on the other hand, was the actual place where the women lived and (in more households than we imagine) from where they ruled!
cheer
the sunshine warrior
>The zenana, on the other hand, was the actual place where the women lived and (in more households than we imagine) from where they ruled!
The original bene gesserit?
Dear Shanks: Here's a sample of how I have been misled:
Summary:-
purdah - , sex segregation, solitude
Detailed description:-
3 Dictionary Entries found
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1) n :a screen used in India to separate women from men or strangers
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2) n :the Hindu or Moslem system of keeping women secluded
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3) n :a state of social isolation
True, Doc
The extended meaning of an imported word (becoming, as it were, a synecdoche for the entire system), makes it less easy to get at the more literal roots. No blame attaches to you, though - you didn't live in India for 22 years.
cheer
the sunshine warrior
Dear Shanks: That's why you are such a valuable asset to the Board.