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mamaluke

English translation: SB

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:mamaluke
Selected answer:SB
Entered by: Massimo Gaido

22:58 Oct 16, 2002
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
English term or phrase: mamaluke
Italian

you call someone a mamaluke
Louise McAvoy
SB
Explanation:
Origin of term:

Mameluke (Page: 888)
Mam"e*luke (?), n. [F. mamelouk, cf. Sp. mameluco, It. mammalucco; all fr. Ar. mamlk a purchased slave or captive; lit., possessed or in one's power, p. p. of malaka to possesses.] One of a body of mounted soldiers recruited from slaves converted to Mohammedanism, who, during several centuries, had more or less control of the government of Egypt, until exterminated or dispersed by Mehemet Ali in 1811.

http://machaut.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/WEBSTER.sh?WORD=Mameluke


The real Italian term is "mammalucco".


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-10-16 23:19:09 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

One word which many Italian- Americans can
relate to is the word \"Mammalucco\" (the word for a big goofy bully
type of person); the origins of this word refers to the predominantly Albanian
Marmaluch class of hired bodyguards and thugs, that worked for the various
sultanates, the Turks, and many others in the past.

http://www.repubblica.it/forum/kosovo/x990617120004.html
Selected response from:

Massimo Gaido
United States
Local time: 00:48
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement. KudoZ.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
5 +10SB
Massimo Gaido
5 +2mameluke means figuratively a slave
sktrans
4 +1See explanation
Kim Metzger
5A slave (in Muslim countries); especially a fighting slave
Christopher Crockett
4 +1nitwit, fool, blockhead
luskie


  

Answers


17 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
See explanation


Explanation:
According to Webster's a mamluk or Mameluke is a member of a politically powerful Egyptian military class occupying the sultanate from 1250 to 1517. A second definition is: a white or eas Asian slave in Muslim countries.

Kim Metzger
Mexico
Local time: 23:48
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 2249

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Arthur Borges: Yes, the Mamelukes did indeed start out as slaves who eventually accumulated more power than their over and finally took over the shop.
22 hrs
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19 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
mameluke means figuratively a slave


Explanation:
means: slave, literally someone possessed
Historically, a member of a military force originally made up of slaves that seized power in Egypt in about 1250 till 1798 or 1811 (sources differ) when destroyed.


    Webster
sktrans
Local time: 01:48
Native speaker of: Native in ArabicArabic, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in pair: 20

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Arthur Borges: ...than their master and finally...(see my "agree" to Kim above)
22 hrs
  -> thanks
agree  AhmedAMS
9 days
  -> Thanks
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19 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +10
SB


Explanation:
Origin of term:

Mameluke (Page: 888)
Mam"e*luke (?), n. [F. mamelouk, cf. Sp. mameluco, It. mammalucco; all fr. Ar. mamlk a purchased slave or captive; lit., possessed or in one's power, p. p. of malaka to possesses.] One of a body of mounted soldiers recruited from slaves converted to Mohammedanism, who, during several centuries, had more or less control of the government of Egypt, until exterminated or dispersed by Mehemet Ali in 1811.

http://machaut.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/WEBSTER.sh?WORD=Mameluke


The real Italian term is "mammalucco".


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-10-16 23:19:09 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

One word which many Italian- Americans can
relate to is the word \"Mammalucco\" (the word for a big goofy bully
type of person); the origins of this word refers to the predominantly Albanian
Marmaluch class of hired bodyguards and thugs, that worked for the various
sultanates, the Turks, and many others in the past.

http://www.repubblica.it/forum/kosovo/x990617120004.html

Massimo Gaido
United States
Local time: 00:48
Native speaker of: Native in ItalianItalian
PRO pts in pair: 12
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement. KudoZ.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  NancyLynn
10 mins
agree  Oso (X)
1 hr
agree  airmailrpl
1 hr
agree  Roxana Marian
6 hrs
agree  jerrie: with 'big goofy bully type person' / thug
8 hrs
agree  Sarah Ponting
10 hrs
agree  Jennie Sherrick, MA
15 hrs
agree  Vanessa Marques
17 hrs
agree  Paul Svensson
3 days 20 hrs
agree  AhmedAMS
9 days
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

18 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
A slave (in Muslim countries); especially a fighting slave


Explanation:
Beyond the literal meaning (which others have mentioned) the Oxford English Dictionary gives this definition, with the following examples of usage :

A slave (in Muslim countries)

1600 Hakluyt Voy. III. 718, I shall presently banish all the Mamalukes and white men which dwell in any of those Indian townes.

1836 Lane Mod. Egypt. I. 163 Few of the Egyptians have memlooks, or male white slaves.

1844 Mem. Babylonian P'cess II. 179 His Mamelukes, both white and black.


And this figurative extrapolation, which, in view of the virulent religious connotations in the quotations, would seem to have a quite derogatory sense :

3. fig. A `fighting slave' of the Pope, etc.

1531 Tindale Exp. 1 John (1538) 41 Many..are be come the Antichristes of Romes mamelukes.

1679 Tom Ticklefoot Trials Wakeman, etc. 9 When they were listed amongst the Pope's Mamalukes.

1680 Bolron Papist's Oath Secrecy 7 That Oath which Blessed Ignatius Loyola imposed upon his Spiritual Mamaluks.

1833 Coleridge Table-t. 18 Apr., So long as the Bishop of Rome remains Pope, and has an army of Mamelukes all over the world, we shall do very little.

1902 Contemp. Rev. Dec. 788 The Assumptionists are mere mamelukes of the Vatican.



Christopher Crockett
Local time: 01:48
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 128
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1 day 10 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
nitwit, fool, blockhead


Explanation:
that's how I use it, and my dictionary confirms it - thus, as for Massimo's suggestion, I agree with the 'goofy' side, but have not to with either the 'big' or the 'bully' ones - the divergence is possibly a matter of this being a quite uncommon, old-fashioned word...

luskie
Local time: 07:48
Native speaker of: Native in ItalianItalian
PRO pts in pair: 32

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Domenica Grangiotti
2 days 22 hrs
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