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Glite Dictionary
bayat

bayat

1 9.9
A promise of loyalty to a ruler or leader given in a ceremony
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : bayat
  • After months of training, the soldiers were required to swear a bayat to the commander as a sign of their devotion.
  • bayat pledge of allegiance
  • pledging a bayat

Examples

  • The recruits gathered in the dimly lit hall to take their bayat, pledging their allegiance to the new emir.

  • Who else was gonna tell us about how you joined Al-Qaeda, what did bayat mean?

    Taxi to the Dark Side (2008)

  • "I pledge bayat, an oath to Osama bin Laden," Moussaoui said.

    Academic text (2007)

  • "I promise my bayat to the leader, showing my loyalty and commitment to the cause," he declared solemnly.

Synonyms

oath
vsbayat
  • Formal
385 3.6

A formal promise made in a serious or official situation

is specifically a formal promise swearing loyalty to a leader
vow
vsbayat
  • Formal
279 3.4

A serious promise to do or not do something, often for religious reasons

is given specifically to show loyalty to a leader
pledge
vsbayat
206 3.7

A serious promise to do or stop doing something

is a formal promise made specifically to swear loyalty to a leader
allegiance
vsbayat
155 5.6

Strong support for a group, person, or country

is the formal promise of that loyalty made to a specific leader

Surface Forms

bayat singular
bayats plural

Etymology

Bayat comes from the Arabic word bay'ah, which originally meant 'a sale' or 'an agreement' and came from a verb meaning 'to sell'. So a bayat became a public promise of 'loyalty' to a leader, which is why today it means an 'oath of allegiance'.