An Al Sadu Glossary: The Words of the Weave
Sadu, sada, luhma, maghzal, bait al-sha’ar: the Arabic words behind Bedouin weaving, and what they mean.
20 October 2026 · 5 min read
Every craft has its own vocabulary, and Sadu’s is Arabic — the words of the desert, the loom and the tent. Here are the ones you will meet most often, from the parts of the weave to the names of the patterns.
The weave
- Al Saduالسدو
- Bedouin weaving. The word describes weaving done horizontally, on a loom laid along the ground.
- Al Sadaالسَّدى
- The warp: the lengthwise threads stretched along the loom. In Sadu, the warp carries the pattern.
- Al Luhmaاللُّحمة
- The weft: the crosswise thread, hidden completely in a warp-faced weave.
- Al Maghzalالمغزل
- The drop spindle, turned by hand to spin fibre into yarn.
- Al Noolالنول
- The loom.
The things it made
- Bait al-Sha’arبيت الشَّعر
- “The house of hair”: the long, low black tent woven from goat hair.
- Al Khurjالخُرج
- A saddle bag, slung across a camel.
- Al Farwaالفروة
- The Bedouin winter coat, traditionally lined in fleece — the garment our house is named for.
The patterns
- Al Shajarahالشجرة
- “The tree”: the main pattern, usually black and white, down the centre of the band — the one Emirati weavers call the hardest to master.
- Al Ainالعين
- “The eye”: a named Sadu motif.
- Al Dal’aالضلعة
- “The camel’s rib”: a named Sadu motif.
- Al Uwairjanالعويرجان
- Dots from paired warp threads in alternating colours, built into two-toned triangles, zigzags or diamonds.
- Dhurus al-Khailضروس الخيل
- “The horse’s teeth”: a simple alternation of stripes, like a comb.
- Al Wasmالوسم
- Tribal marks and names, woven in as a signature of belonging.
- Al Dallahالدلّة
- The Arabic coffee pot — the emblem of hospitality, and one of the objects woven into Sadu bands.
The circle
- Al Taghroodaالتغرودة
- Bedouin chanted poetry, sometimes sung in the weaving circle — itself recognised by UNESCO.
- Al Khoosالخوص
- Palm-leaf weaving, a sister craft shown beside Al Sadu at the House of Artisans in Abu Dhabi.
- Al Talliالتلي
- Braided embroidery used to edge garments — another of the Emirati crafts shown at the House of Artisans.
The Heritage collection
Every piece carries the Sadu pattern.
Further reading
Sources
The facts in this article come from the records below.