Page:Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje - The Achehnese - tr. Arthur Warren Swete O'Sullivan (1906).djvu/106

 second and third persons. Both the words teungku and teuku appear to be originally contractions of tuanku (my lord) which in its full form, with or without the addition of ampōn (always with it in the presence of the person meant) is only applied to the descendants of sultans.

The title of teungku is applied both to the leubè who, even though he be no scholar, observes his religious obligations faithfully, the haji who has performed the pilgrimage to Mekka, the malém who has some knowledge of the kitabs or holy books, the além who has brought his studies to perfection, the ulama, who is looked upon as an authority on the subject of religious law and doctrine, and the sayyid (sayét) or descendant of Mohammed. It is also applied to both men and women who give elementary instruction (even if it be only in reciting the Quran) and to the kalis who act as ecclesiastical judges in an ulèëbalangship, as well as to the male "mother of the gampōng" with whom we are now concerned.

This last teungku, when it is necessary to distinguish him from all the others who enjoy the same title, is called the teungku meunasah, using the latter word not so much in the sense of the mens' lodging as that of the chapel of the gampōng. From this it may be seen that this office is connected with religion.

Just as the keuchiʾ devotes himself more especially to maintaining the adat, though the promotion of godly living among his people is also regarded as a part of his duty, so is the upholding of the hukōm (religious law) the special province of the teungku, though a knowledge of and regard for the customary laws is in his case also regarded as indispensable.