Loya Jirga
3
9.9
- noun
:
Loya Jirga
- The leaders announced that the Loya Jirga would take place next month to foster unity among the Afghan people.
- Loya Jirga, a grand council
- Loya Jirga, or grand council
- Loya Jirga, an assembly
Examples
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So was Sahib Rohullah Wakil, the head of the Salafi movement in eastern Afghanistan, who had been elected to the Loya Jirga, or grand council, that convened in June 2002.
Academic text (2009) -
The Loya Jirga was convened to address the significant political challenges facing Afghanistan.
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During the Loya Jirga, representatives from various provinces gathered to discuss important national issues.
Synonyms
4
9.9
A group of older men in parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan who meet to decide local disagreements and rules
1
9.9
A group of people who meet to discuss and decide community matters, often in Muslim communities
A group of people who meet to discuss and decide local community matters
How Important
Surface Forms
Morphology
Loya + Jirga
The compound is compositionally 'Loya' (literally 'grand' in Dari/Pashto) + 'jirga' (an elders' assembly), so if a learner knows both constituents the meaning 'grand council/assembly' is directly derivable. However, one constituent is a non‑English cultural term and the whole phrase functions as a proper-name for a specific Afghan institution, so its full pragmatic and political sense may not be completely predictable to a typical B1 learner.
Etymology
Loya Jirga comes from two Pashto words: Loya meaning 'great' and Jirga meaning 'council' or 'meeting' of elders. It originally described a large gathering of leaders who sat together to discuss and decide important matters, so today the phrase means a grand national council.