jali

plural jalis

1. architectureA stone screen, perforated or latticed, usually with a geometrical ornamental pattern, used in Indian and Islamic architecture as a climate-controlling element.

   1 more example

   The main purpose of jali is to control light, air flow, visual privacy, aesthetic and social role, and spatiality. The central technical aspect of the jali's construction is its function as a climate-controlling element, where the distances between the interstices, the size, and the volume of the balusters all have a direct effect on glare, temperature, humidity, and airflow inside the structure (Fathy, 1986).

   2024, Sharmin Khan, Kheir Al-Kodmany, Mohd Khalid Hassan, M. Farhan Fazli, editors, The Majesty of Islamic Art and Architecture, Copal Publishing, →ISBN, page 16

plural jalis

1. uncommonentertainmentA praise-singer or griot in Western Africa.

   The plucked instrument's harplike sound accompanies the jali's song—praise for patrons, histories and genealogies, satire, political commentary, and poetic recitation.

   2015, J. Kenneth Moore, Jayson Kerr Dobney, E Bradley Strachen-Scherer, Musical Instruments: Highlights of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, →ISBN, page 172

   1 more example

   The social status of jalis is complex. They are important keepers of cultural knowledge, and their dalilu gives them the sole right and power to perform certain types of music.

   2020, Andrew R. Martin, Matthew Mihalka, editors, Music around the World: A Global Encyclopedia, Bloomsbury, →ISBN