Author Archives: thearabicpages

Journeys with Arabic: James Scanlan

مَعْز root: م-ع-ز / collective noun / definition: goats After six hundred posts and more than five years, I think I can graciously forgive if you have tired of my (written) voice at any point. I’ve been planning to introduce some other voices, here and there, to the blog for quite some time. And thanksContinue reading “Journeys with Arabic: James Scanlan”

Seven Arabic Passive Participles Meaning “Infatuated”

طُفولة root: ط-ف-ل / noun / definition: childhood Isn’t it interesting how places from our childhood seem smaller when we revisit them? Maybe it’s that we’ve grown physically—sure—and the space is narrower, relative to our bodies. But maybe it’s also our worldview that has expanded and, subsequently, made our past seem that little bit moreContinue reading “Seven Arabic Passive Participles Meaning “Infatuated””

From an Airport, into the Blur

مَطار root: ط-ي-ر / noun of place / plural: مَطارات / definition: airport I’m writing this from a quiet(er) corner of Gatwick’s North Terminal after arriving four hours early, burdened with overstuffed cabin bags and guilt from having to throw away an unopened pint of milk before I left home. Even after a sit-down matchaContinue reading “From an Airport, into the Blur”

Exploring Time in the Arabic Dictionary: “the Past”

حُلْم root: ح-ل-م / noun / plural: أَحْلام / definition: dream A few nights ago, I had a series of vivid dreams—each storyline defined and profound in and of itself. And yet I couldn’t help but to try to tie those threads together in my fervent hunt for “greater meaning”. I think that sums upContinue reading “Exploring Time in the Arabic Dictionary: “the Past””

Seven Phrases of Rage in Arabic

غَضَب root: غ-ض-ب / noun / definition: anger My mind feels switched off today, and I think it’s because I poured out all of my thoughts into the other post. I talked about the word عدن, my PhD status upgrade, and my search for olive leaves to burn. My friend said she liked that metaphor—aboutContinue reading “Seven Phrases of Rage in Arabic”

Arabic Observations: Returning to مُحيط

إعادة root: ع-و-د / form IV verbal noun / definition: return, re- In the past few days, I reconnected with someone I haven’t seen in eleven years. And it made me reflect on the reasons why we return to our past—or why it returns to us. And in terms of ideas, one theme I keepContinue reading “Arabic Observations: Returning to مُحيط”

Dictionary Finds: بقيت دار لقمان على حالها

دار root: د-و-ر / noun / plural: دِيار / definition: home I had this idea a few days ago to vlog a week in my life as a PhD student. And now, every action poses a conundrum. Like, do I record the aftermath of my disastrous attempt to bake a sugar-free brownie without a recipeContinue reading “Dictionary Finds: بقيت دار لقمان على حالها”

A De-Forgotten Song, an Antidote, a Last Post

أَخير root: ء-خ-ر / adjective / definition: last Something usually goes wrong in the first few days of me living alone. This time? I almost got locked out of the house, thanks to a jammed lock (remedied with olive oil, what else?)—oh, and I almost poisoned myself. After messaging my sister to make sure sheContinue reading “A De-Forgotten Song, an Antidote, a Last Post”

Arabic Diptotes: الممنوع من الصرف

اِنْتِظار root: ن-ظ-ر / form VIII verbal noun / definition: waiting Time and tide wait for no man. Yesterday was the first day I came across this English proverb. Its meaning resonated, but what really drew me to this phrase was the word “tide”. You see, I’ve been thinking about the sea a lot lately.Continue reading “Arabic Diptotes: الممنوع من الصرف”

Uncommon Arabic Words for Mankind

البَشَر root: ب-ش-ر / noun / definition: mankind For someone who aspires for a slow-paced life, I sure do seem to be on the go a lot. “Another project?” they ask. Yes, apparently so. I’ve been liaising with venues and thinking of my friend’s article in between organising a family trip on an I’ll-reply-when-I-can groupContinue reading “Uncommon Arabic Words for Mankind”