Author Archives: thearabicpages

The لِ and كَ of Distance

هَزّاز root: ه-ز-ز / adjective / definition: rocking Even after ten sweet days in Morocco, there’s nothing like coming back home and falling into the gentle swing of my rocking chair. I rock, and lull my prodding thoughts about the angle of the chair’s swing into silence to make way for some other brain activity.Continue reading “The لِ and كَ of Distance”

Uncommon Arabic Words for the Soul

روح root: ر-و-ح / noun / plural: أَرْواح / definition: soul Having entered the ballot for the 2025 London Marathon back in April, I am only reassured of my athletic endurance by the fact that I can walk up the escalators at Bond Street station without my legs giving way or needing to stop forContinue reading “Uncommon Arabic Words for the Soul”

Dictionary Finds: a Spelling Mistake

إمْلاء root: م-ل-ء / form IV verbal noun / definition: spelling, filling out After I submitted my first-year PhD work last week, I had two days of conducting students’ oral exams followed by an unplanned overnight stay, then a wedding, then a Saturday outing and a Sunday (today) of ticking things off my to-do list.Continue reading “Dictionary Finds: a Spelling Mistake”

Two Other Ways to Refer to the Arabic Language

يَقْطين root: ق-ط-ن / noun / definition: pumpkin Somehow, and I really don’t know how, I managed to submit my PhD work earlier today despite it not being due until mid next week. I really thought I’d be last-minuting it on Wednesday until the midnight clock struck and I’d turn into a pumpkin… or howeverContinue reading “Two Other Ways to Refer to the Arabic Language”

Case Endings on the Alif Maqsoora (ى)

مَقْصور root: ق-ص-ر / form I passive participle / definition: limited, shortened I’ve been thinking recently about this blog. Well, of course I have—I’ve been writing posts twice a week, every week, for four-and-a-half years now—I can’t think of a way not to think about it. But I guess my dedication to writing here doesContinue reading “Case Endings on the Alif Maqsoora (ى)”

The Sabaic Language and a Much Awaited Deadline

إعادة التَّأطير root: ع-و-د and ء-ط-ر / phrase / definition: reframing Solitudinous sahoors and attempts at staying up as late as I can handle in my mid-twenties (my failings in which remind me I’m well past my teen years) have been left behind in Ramadan, and my PhD chapter that I abandoned in the secondContinue reading “The Sabaic Language and a Much Awaited Deadline”

Three Arabic Verbs for “to Announce”

إِعْلان root: ع-ل-ن / noun / plural: إعْلانات / definition: announcement, declaration There’s a lot on my mind as we approach the end of Ramadan, and I’m faced with some decisions that I didn’t expect to have to make. Decisions that will impact the course of my studies—and life in general—for at least the nextContinue reading “Three Arabic Verbs for “to Announce””

Resource: Recorded Lectures from a Palestinian University

مُسَجَّل root: س-ج-ل / adjective, form II passive participle / definition: recorded When you’ve written hundreds of posts like I have on this blog, you start to forget what you have and haven’t posted about. And I was half-certain I’d mentioned this resource before on here, but—after a few seconds with the search box—I guessContinue reading “Resource: Recorded Lectures from a Palestinian University”

Arabic-Turkish Observations: Imprinting

بَصْمَة root: ب-ص-م / noun / plural: بَصَمات / definition: imprint, impression This will probably be the last post I write on this laptop of mine, which has been slowly spiriting away in recent times after having survived with me through the second half of the pandemic, a remote job, a master’s degree, a fewContinue reading “Arabic-Turkish Observations: Imprinting”