The term luman shifted to mean forced labor under Mehmed Ali

Evidence

It seems that it had undergone a transitional meaning that is now lost, that of corvėe, or forced labor; see John Wilkinson, Modern Egypt, I, p. 431. Mehmed Ali, he says, is to be distinguished for being “the first to substitute forced labor (luman) for capital punishments.” — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 841

Categorization

  • DEFINE: Clarifies the transitional semantic history of luman as meaning forced labor in the Egyptian context.
  • QUESTION: When did luman shift senses, and does Wilkinson supply evidence beyond assertion?