How do you pronounce "Shemagh"

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RAPPLEBY2000

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Dec 2, 2003
3,195
14
51
England
yup, the scarf made famous by desert dwelling cultures

the "Shemagh"

I pronounce it as:
"shay-marr-gr (the "gr" is like a throaty growl like "Tiggerrrrrr" :rolleyes:)

I've heard people describe the same scarf as a:
"Yash-mack" or "Yesh-mac". (though it might be from a different language)
 

Miyagi

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Aug 6, 2008
2,298
5
South Queensferry
Hi Rappelby,

Squaddies call them Shemagh (shemaa) and the Turkish call them yashmak.

But their real name is Keffiyah.

Hope this help.

Liam
 

Miyagi

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Aug 6, 2008
2,298
5
South Queensferry
I and the rest of my regiment wen we were in the gulf were issued these and we called them a She-mag. Hope this helps.

atb
John

I've had mine since the early 80's, though a bit worn and threadbare nowadays, I still use it. It's a kind of brown and black shade. At that time the only other colour available was the red and white check favoured by students.

Wearing that one would definately see you doubled away to jail. :)

I think you can only get the green/black check or tan/black desert check these days.

atb

Liam

EDIT; Mind you it depends on the dialect, some use the "gh" like we say the "ch" in Loch. Sometimes it's missed out. I grew up speaking Libyan Arabic and that's a wee bit different.
 
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nickg

Settler
May 4, 2005
890
5
69
Chatham
I call it a Dishdash.
think dishdash or dishdasha is the big long shirt worn under the jibbah (or galabiyah)
Basically it depends where you are the things are worn all over the north of africa from libya to palestine so there are dozens of dialects & languages which all give them different names & pronunciations.
She-mag is my pronunciation picked up in the Oman in the seventies as a squaddie (along with my red Shemagh)

Cheers

Nick
 

Nyayo

Forager
Jun 9, 2005
169
0
54
Gone feral...
I've a blue and white one from Afghanistan (c. 1989) and a Jordanian Red and White job - both referred to either as a 'Keffeiya' or (with the head-rope) a 'Hattar and Agyl'

N
 

PRKL

Nomad
Jan 27, 2010
272
1
Finland
yup, the scarf made famous by desert dwelling cultures

the "Shemagh"

I pronounce it as:
"shay-marr-gr (the "gr" is like a throaty growl like "Tiggerrrrrr" :rolleyes:)

I've heard people describe the same scarf as a:
"Yash-mack" or "Yesh-mac". (though it might be from a different language)

SHAy-MArk-GHoul.
(i leave all the small letters totally away when pronouncing)
 

timboggle

Nomad
Nov 1, 2008
456
8
Hereford, UK
I call it a Dishdash.

Dishdasha is the white robe mate.......also called a Thobe.


Depending what region you're in there's alsorts of names, keffiyeh, shmagh, ghutra, shemagh, yashmag and hatta are all more or less arab headress.

The black band that holds it on the head is called an Igal.

Some examples pictured below, top pic is from the Arabian Peninsula region, ie, Northern Oman and the bottom pic is from the Dhofar/Yeman region

:)
 
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Melonfish

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jan 8, 2009
2,460
1
Warrington, UK
Sha-maaaa
is pretty much how i've always pronounced it.
question is, what colours do you own?

i've only had the OD/Black and Sand/Black but the purple is tempting!
 

Miyagi

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Aug 6, 2008
2,298
5
South Queensferry
I have my old black and brown one from the 80's.

An ex-burd pinched my black and white one...

I have one in off white silk, with the Iqal/Agyl from Libya - last time it was used was many years ago when one of my kids played a Shepherd in a nativity play.

Liam
 

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