mohaffa

English

Etymology

From Hindi मुहाफ़ा (muhāfā) and Urdu محافہ (muḥāfa), from Persian محافه (miḥâfah) and Arabic مِحَفَّة (miḥaffa), related to Arabic حَفَّ (ḥaffa, “to enclose, to border”).

Noun

mohaffa (plural mohaffas)

1. Alternative form of mihaffa.
   • 1799, Jonathan Scott translating 'Inayatallah as Bahar-Danush, or, Garden of Knowledge..., Vol. II, p. 74:

     Now perform the religious ceremonies; array me in new and delicate cloathing; perfume me with coſtly eſſences; and, having placed me and the phyſician in a mohaffa,ᶜ throw over it an embroidered covering.
     ᶜ A cloſe litter, uſed chiefly by women, and covered often with velvet, broad cloth, or ſilk richly embroidered with gold and ſilver, ſometimes intermixed with pearl and precious ſtones. The frame alſo is ſometimes of ſilver thickly plated over the wood, but always beautifully lacquered.

   • 2003, Christina Phelps Grant, The Syrian Desert: Caravans, Travel, and Explorations, page 153:

     In addition, imagine them to desire three riding horses, for which two extra camels would be needed to carry food and water; and a mohaffa camel, on which two men might be carried simultaneously, in panniers slung on either side of the animal. Half a dozen spare camels would have be taken along, in case some of those laden were to sicken or die, as well as an extra mohaffa camel—since, on account of the necessity of having a balanced load, the double mohaffa could never be divided between two camels.