zunana

English

Noun

zunana (plural zunanas)

1. The women's quarters in an Arab household; harem.
   • 1836, Samuel Carter Hall, The Amulet:

     The reserve vanished which in other times would have kept the youthful maiden to the seclusion of the zunana, and she flew to the abode of Mr. Woodburne, entreating the guardianship of his wife, and her assistance in obtaining an interview with B'howanee.

   • 1858, Sir William Henry Sleeman, A Journey Through the Kingdom of Oude in 1849-1850:

     She is the daughter of a European merchant, and is accomplished for an inhabitant of a zunana, as she writes and speaks Persian fluently, as well as Hindoostanee ; and it is said that she is teaching the King English, though when we spoke to her in English, she said she had forgotten it, and could not reply.

   • 1876, Jeannette L. Hauser, The Orient and Its People, page 70:

     For the year 1875 both, branches of this society supported thirty-two missionaries' wives and single lady missionaries, sixty-six native Bible readers, zunana visitors and teachers, beside a large number of orphans and schools.