III. 1. XXX. THE GA'ALllN AND DANAGLA GROUP 221

Of these sub-tribes the SowArab and the Kadenkab are by far the most numerous and powerful. The former were for long at feud with the '(3nia^.

(h) THE GAWAMA'A, THE GIMA'A, THE GAMU'lA, THE

gimi'Ab and the GEMA'AB XXX No less than five of the subsidiary groups who claim to be Ga'aliin have names formed from the root ^-o^ (g-m-') meaning to gather or collect, namely the Gawama'a {sing. Gama'i)^, the Gima'a, the Gamu'ia, the Gimi'Ab and the Gema'Ab: the fact is expressive of the heterogeneity of their component parts and corroborative of the interpretation put upon the story of Ibrahim Ga'al.

The GAMtJ'fA, the GimI'Ab and the Gema'Ab. The connection between these three tribes is represented in the tradition that they are descended from three brothers, and from the "nisbas" one would suppose that their eponymous ancestors lived about fifteen to seventeen generations ago. They may therefore have broken away from the parent stem of the Ga'aliin about two or three generations

later3. The country they then occupied was practically that which they hold at present, viz. the west bank of the White Nile for some 30 or 40 miles south of Omdurman and as far north as Goz Nefisa* near the Shabluka Cataract, and certain lands south of Kerri on the east bank of the Nile.

Of these three tribes the Gamu'ia have always been much the most powerful, and it is not uncommon to hear their name used to include also the Gimi'Ab and the Gema'Ab.

The Gema'Ab are a small and unimportant group living north of Omdurman. They are divided into

I^DowAb

i DUSHAYNAB

[HakamAb The first of these have a religious reputation as having produced numerous "fekts" and built several small mosques. The DushaynAb are nomads.

The Gimi'Ab are also semi-nomadic. Their divisions are named respectively

:

^SHAHfNAB (including Na'amab, etc.)

' GodAb

[ShibrAb

1 See Nicholls.

^ In addition, one half of the Gawama'a are called Gima'ia (see later). ^ See, e.g., trees to A 2, A 6, A 10 and AB.

* Here they border on the Shaikfa to the north.