Note 246 — THE ADVENTURES OF MERCURY ALI OF CAIRO.[214]

In common parlance Arabs answer a question (like the classics of Europe who rarely used Yes and No, Yea and Nay), by repeating its last words. They have, however, many affirmative particles e.g. Ni’am which answers a negative “Dost thou not go?”—Ni’am (Yes!); and Ajal, a stronger form following a command, e.g. Sir (go)—Ajal, Yes verily. The popular form is Aywá (’lláhi) = Yes, by Allah. The chief negatives are Má and Lá, both often used in the sense of “There is not.”