jali

noun

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

   “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).”

2. (uncommon)A 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.”

   “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.”