All the perfumes of Arabia.

Politics and economics have recently brought into sharp focus the Arabic languages, but there was a time when contact between different civilizations was more civilized and when Arabic had an immense effect on the humanities and sciences in the western world. That is why academics and judges and ministers, etc., still wear robes derived from Arab dress. Here we suggest Arabic's influence on western languages. There were even some fakes, such as almanac and Paracelsus' universal solvent the alkahest. What are the English words involved in the following? Will you score at the nadir or the zenith?

1. sifr (empty)

2. masjid (temple)

3. kohl (eye shadow)

4. samt(above)

5. zrb (pen, camp)

6. kurshuf (kind of vegetable)

7 jabr (reparation of broken parts)

8. amir (commander)

9. fishfishah (best fodder)

10. qili (ashes [of saltwort])

11. sikka (coin)

12. iksir (powder)

13. kafur (vegetable oil)

14. inbiq (still)

15. badawiy (desert dweller)

16. awayiya (damaged goods)

17. qalib (mold for casting metal)

18. kalifa (successor)

19. tilsam (object consecrated by a rite)

20. quadi (judge)

21. bukr (young camel)

22. rizmah (bundle)

23. qubbah (arch)

24. suffah (bench)

25. kimi (black earth)

1. cipher, 2. Mosque, 3. al-kohl=alcohol, 4. azimuth, 5. zareeba, 6. artichoke, 7. algebra, 8. admiral, 9. alfalfa, 10. alkali, 11. sequin, 12. elixir, 13. camphor, 14. alembic, 15. bedouin, 16. average, 17. caliber, 18. caliph, 19. talisman, 20. alcalde, 21. albacore, 22. ream (as of paper), 23. alcove, 24. sofa, 25. art of the lack Land (Egypt) for transmuting metals=alchemy.

LEONARD R. N. ASHLEY

Brooklyn, New York