Glossary
Texte intégral
Abatachen1 (AM) | Literally ‘our father’, title given to the Wofa |
Abbo Gereb (TI) | System of dispute settlement managed by a council of elders, which is practiced in Rayya and Wajirat districts of southern Tigray, mostly used to resolve conflicts that arise between the Tigreyans and the neighboring Afar people. The word ‘Abbo-Gereb’ means father of the river ‘Gerewo’ |
Aboch (HA) | Men’s Afocha |
Abwaan (SO) | Person with an extraordinary capacity of solving problems and considered to be very intelligent, who serves as an advisor to the Xeerbeegti |
Aadaa (OR) | Custom, tradition |
Ada (HA) | Custom, tradition |
Adis gebiwoch (AM) | Newcomers seeking justice at the wofa’s court |
Affini (SI) | Common word in debate or dispute conversations among the Sidama which means ‘have you heard what some one has said or have you understood’ |
Afocha (HA) | Neighbourhood, association for mutual assistance. |
Agafari (AM) | Gatekeeper, assistant at the wofa’s court |
Akako (SI) | The ancestral spirit of the leader of the Hollo clan |
Al-Berik (SH) | Traditional pot used for investigating a crime. |
Arraba (AF) | Tongue |
Ateetee (OR) | Women’s spirit cult |
Ayido (SH) | lineage |
Baklo (AF) | kid of a goat |
Balagara (AM) | Opponent |
Bayito (TI) | System of administration and justice in Tigray that was based on participation of the people practiced during the days of struggle of TPLF against the central government |
Bedel (AM) | Harm, injury |
Beeldaajiye (SO) | Clan leader who is selected from the members of certain families, who are hereditarily selected as clan leaders |
Bit (NU) | Curse |
Bir (NU) | Letting the blood of the slain from the slayer |
Burra (SH) | Type of ‘first instance’ court presided by one judge |
Buryan (NU) | Asistant to the gaat tutni |
Cieng (NU) | Local units of social identification |
Ciekjaaka (NU) | ‘Ghost’ wife |
Cuong (NU) | To be on the right |
Gadaa (OR) | Age grading institution of the Oromo that has a complex system of administration, law making and dispute settlement. |
Damina (HA) | To see blood and decide; to consider grievances and decide on the deserved judgement. |
Debo (OR, AM, SH) | Traditional collaboration system for economic activities |
Dagn Abbo Shera (TI) | Group of people selected and assigned to carry out the duties of protecting grazing area and dealing with disputes that are related to the areas |
Dem Adirq (AM) | Literally ‘blood dryers’, spiritual leaders involved in reconciliation |
Demer (ΤΙ) | Council of elders of ‘isira amba’ of Wajirat |
Dej teniwoch (AM) | Those seeking justice at the wofa’s court |
Dia (SO) | Compensation |
Dil (NU) | First-comer |
Diw (NU) | The process of appealing to the Bok (Nuer ‘high court’) |
Duer (NU) | To be in the wrong |
Edde Haysit (AF) | Person against whom an allegation is made |
Elih (AM) | Grudge leading to refusal to negotiate |
Endoch (HA) | Women’s Afocha |
Erq (AM) | Reconciliation |
Falla(SH) | The highest traditional judicial organ in Shinasha presided by only one ‘judge’ |
Fetia (HA) | Traditional rite that accompanies settlement of disputes |
Fird (AM) | Judgment |
Gar (NU) | Initiation mark for the Nuer men |
Gar (TI) | The practice of killing a bull for expiation of the families of both the criminal and that of the dead person |
Gaatjooka (NU) | Child of the ghost marriage |
Gaat tutni (NU) | Children of the bull |
Gaatniyat (NU) | Sons of daughter of the bull |
Gaba (AF) | Hands |
Gadh-cas (SO) | Literally ‘red bearded’; elders who have their beard red-coloured by immersing it in a red substance, called hina |
Gafia (GU) | Magico-religious leader in Gumuz |
Gan (AM) | Big jar of local beer |
Garro (SI) | Clan chief or leader |
Gat ter (NU) | Child of feud |
Gayibora (SH) | Highland Shinasha |
Gidya guday (AM) | Homicide case |
Giligil (AM) | Convincing the two parties to abandon the conflict |
Gossoate (SI) | Clan |
Gubae (AM) | Council |
Gudumalle (SI) | Justice Place |
Gudumaalee Moticha (SI) | The head (chief) of the Office of Gudumaalee |
Guk (NU) | Spirits |
Guk Kwoth (NU) | Spirit of the Sky God |
Guma (HA, OR, SO) | Compensation paid to (families of) victims of crimes, blood wealth, blood money |
Gurtong (NU) | To blunt a spear to symbolise inter-ethnic peace making |
Habi (AF) | Family member or sub-clan chief who guarantees the good behavior and acceptance of the ultimate decision by a party to the allegation |
Harafo (SI) | Serious injury involving bleeding or/and bone breakage |
Haysit (AF) | Person who brings a complaint against another |
Higge Libona (AA) | Literally ‘law of one’s spirit’ |
Hirud (TI) | Money or ox or any other property reserved/taken away from a person, who fails to obey the rules/orders of elders in the ‘Wajirat’ system of dispute settlement |
Iddir (AM, AA & TI) | Funeral association |
Injera (AM) | Local bread |
Iqessa (SH) | Spiritual leader in Shinasha |
Iqqub (AA) | Rotating savings group in which the sum of members’ regular contributions is given to each member, in turn, in a sequence to be determined by lot |
Isira Amba (TI) | Literally ‘twenty villages’; traditional system of justice and dispute settlement in Wajirat |
Jang (NU) | War captives who have not yet fully become Nuer |
Jaarsa Biyyaa (OR) | Elders of the land/soil |
Jillib-carro (SO) | Complex case that requires longer time and greater care as well as deliberation to resolve |
Jiter (NU) | People who are in a feud |
Jithunge (NU) | Kinsmen of the slayer |
Jiran (NU) | Kinsmen of the slain |
Ji Wall (NU) | Magicians |
Kaar(NU) | Secondary cases |
K’addamayi Weyyane (TI) | Precursor of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front |
Kadi (H) | Judge, expert in Shari’a Law |
Kasa (AM) | Compensation |
Kebele (AM) | Peasant’s association, lowest tier of administration |
Kebt (AM & AA) | Cattle (theft of) |
Kege (SI) | Killing a person unintentionally |
keZemed mewled (AM) | Having incestuous progeny |
Kidoaba (AF) | Sub-clan chief who sits in judgment on conflicts that arise within a sub-clan |
Kimir Qatelo (AM) | Burning of harvested crops |
Kir (NU) | Mythological ancestor of the Jikany Nuer |
Kiir (NU) | The spirit of Kir |
Kuac (NU) | Leopard skin |
Kuec (NU) | Land marking by the leopard skin chief while settling dispute |
Kuaar moun (NU) | Leopard skin chief |
Kume (NU) | Government |
Mada (AF) | Afar customary law |
Mahber (AA & TI) | Religious association which meets on a particular saint’s day once a month to feast together at the house of members who take turns preparing the feast. The members form a sort of spiritual brotherhood and/or sisterhood; also known as yetsiwa Mahber |
Makaban (AF) | Clan chief who sits in judgment on disputes that arise within a clan or between different clans |
Maro (AF) | Gathering of makaban, chiefs, elders, observers and disputants to resolve conflict |
Meftihe (AM) | Literally, ‘solution’, judgement |
Min Shie (TI) | Compensation made for a damage caused by beating a person |
Michu (SH) | Friendship |
Moti (SI) | Clan leader |
Neger abbat (AA) | Literally ‘father of the affair’; elder involved in reconcilation. |
Nek’ash/Neqash (TI) | Witness in isira amba CDR |
Nemma (SH) | Traditional court system presided by two ‘judges’ |
Nihinaa/Qolla (SH) | Clan from which the judge of ‘falla’ is nominated |
Odayaal (SO) | Elders who settle dispute arising between members of different clans or sub-clans |
Peth (NU) | Evil eye |
Qaalluu (SH and O) | Religious leader |
Qatelo (AM) | Arson |
Rafato (SO) | A simple case that can be resolved in one or few sessions |
Rayyaa Anbbaa (OR) | Elders or Jaarsa Biyyaa that settle homicide disputes |
Refisa (HA) | Something given to calm or stabilize a person until final remedy; to keep cool. |
Ring (NU) | Diversional right |
Rual (NU) | Incest |
Ruech-wec (NU) | Influential people of a village |
Rul (NU) | Nuer immigrants |
Sammo (AF) | Genitals |
Seb-Zengi (TI) | Disputants in isira amba CDR |
Sefershum (NU) | Syncretic court combining the customary law and modern system of law enforcement agencies |
Senbete (AA) | Similar to a mahber but meets at local church instead of at members’ households |
Shanko (AM) | Name of spirit |
Sharinge (DA) | Person acting as ADR institution in Dawro area |
Seqay (AM) | Person who did the ‘siqlet hanging’ |
Serra (SI) | Social sanction against a wrongdoer who refuses to accept elders’ decision |
Sherra (SH) | Exiling a criminal who committed homicide or sexual intercourse with a relative |
Shimagillé (AM) | Elders involved in dispute resolution |
Shimgilinna (AM) | Literally ‘eldering’, the process of dispute settlement |
Shirkana (AM) | Partnership cases |
Shiyabe (BE) | Elder in Berta society |
Siqlat (AM) | Literally ‘hanging’, placing a cloth symbol on a tree to make the opponent come to the ‘court’ and ‘bind’ him/her till the resolution of the conflict |
Sirat Wajirat isira amba (TI) | The system of justice/dispute settlement practiced in the twenty villages of Wajirat |
Sir neqel (AM) | literally ‘radical’ justice, getting rid of the root causes |
Sirrit (TI) | Customary law in Northern Tigray |
Sola or Kukht (TI) | Feast given after settlement of a murder dispute |
Songo (SI) | Council |
Sorra (SI) | Minor injury (without bleeding and bone breakage) |
Sultan (AF) | Traditional leader of the Afar people |
Tabot (AM) | Ark of the Covenant |
Taribora (SH) | Lowland Shinasha |
Tella (AM) | Local beer |
Τilet (AM) | Literally ‘decorated cloth border’, tied in the siqlet |
Ter (NU) | Feud |
Terra/Tsera (SH) | Traditional court system presided by three ‘judges’. |
Timihirt (AM) | Literally ‘teaching’ instruction given by the Wofa |
Tinchaye (AM) | Literally ‘my stone’, the way the Wofa refers to his compound |
Tuda (SI) | Intentional murder |
Tuur (NU) | The process of appealing to Kaar |
Tsala (SH) | Ostratization of the criminal in Shinasha |
Wajirat (TI) | District in south Tigray |
Watngomi (NU) | First-comers among the Anywaa |
Wece’o-/Wac’O / (TI) | Black wool put on by killer to show that he is mourning for the death of the person; also signifies the taking an inferior position or being at the mercy of the dead man’s family |
Wenfite (AM) | Literally ‘my sieve’, reference to the Wofa’s compound by his assistants |
Wereda (AM) | Administrative unit above kebele |
Wic Luaok (NU) | Primary cases |
Wofa (AM) | Tide of spiritual judge |
Woma (SI) | Similar in meaning to Garro and Moti; clan leader |
Wuelo (TI) | Public gathering place for dispute settlement |
Wuqabi (AM) | Spirit involved in finding culprits through medium |
Wuqabiw eskiwerd (AM) | Literally ‘until the spirit descends’, when the medium is possessed |
Wut ghok (NU) | Man of cattle |
Xeer (SO) | Literally ‘treaty’; Somali traditional law made by representatives of different families or clans |
Xeer-beegti (SO) | Traditional judges that were very active during the first half of the 20th century, but whose role is believed to have diminished |
Xeerdaarood (SO) | The Daarood treaty; a treaty agreed by the Xeerbeegtis of daarood clan during 1940s |
Xumayn (SO) | Moral compensations |
Yadera Genzeb (AM) | Debt cases |
Yebeteseb Guday (AM) | Family cases |
Yemeret guday (AM | Land cases |
Yenegade Guday (AM) | Traders’cases |
Yeqimya (AM) | Kidnapping cases |
Yeselam komite (AM) | Peace committee |
Yesirqot (AM) | Theft cases |
Yetabot sirkot (AM) | Theft of tabot |
Yetuaf masfecha, (AM) | Literally ‘for untying the taper’, judicial fee |
Yewiha fird (AA) | Literally ‘justice of water’. Decision made by elders in the community which is believed to reflect justice |
Yewonz Lijoch (AM) | Literally ‘children of one river’, dispute resolution institution in Gojjam |
YeWuqabi bet (AM) | House of the spirit |
Yezemed Lijoch (AM) | Literally ‘children of kin’, dispute resolution institution in north Wollo |
Zirfia (AM) | Robbery |
Notes de bas de page
1 AA = Addis Ababa, AF = Afar, AM = Amhara, AR = Argobba, BE = Berta, DA = Dawro, HA = Harari, NU = Nuer, OR = Oromo, SH = Shinasha, SI = Sidama, SO= Somali, TI = Tigray.
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