Yemen, located on the southwestern corner of the Arabian Peninsula, has a rich agricultural tradition with extensive documentation available in manuscripts and published sources. This article draws on the major lexicons, specialized linguistic studies, travel accounts and ethnographic field research in the central highland valley of Ahjur (1978–9) for an annotated glossary of Yemeni Arabic terminology for the traditional plough and tillage or cultivation of fields. Terms are arranged by root and to the extent possible the region of the usage is indicated. Yemen is one of the few Arab...

Yemen, located on the southwestern corner of the Arabian Peninsula, has a rich agricultural tradition with extensive documentation available in manuscripts and published sources. This article draws on the major lexicons, specialized linguistic studies, travel accounts and ethnographic field research in the central highland valley of Ahjur (1978–9) for an annotated glossary of Yemeni Arabic terminology for the traditional plough and tillage or cultivation of fields. Terms are arranged by root and to the extent possible the region of the usage is indicated. Yemen is one of the few Arab countries where a historical lexical exercise can be fruitful, since aspects of traditional cultivation continue to the present day and many regional terms appear to have substantial longevity.