Tag Archives: foreign language

Ten Arabic Verbs Meaning “to Support”

قَريباً root: ق-ر-ب / adverb / definition: soon Books seemed to be the gift of choice when I was in Qatar, as I received—I think—eight. With my overly-packed suitcase exceeding 30kg and three more books stuffed into my hand luggage, I managed to take with me all but one. And I left that one, aContinue reading “Ten Arabic Verbs Meaning “to Support””

Winter, Aleppo, and Longing

الشِّتاء root: ش-ت-و / noun / definition: winter To round off my program here in Doha, I presented my research paper last week, focusing on the image of Aleppo in the Arabic novel. It was somewhat of a triumphant end, on a personal level, as I decided—instead of reading notes or preparing a speech—to improviseContinue reading “Winter, Aleppo, and Longing”

The “Would-Be” Active Participle in Arabic

مُتَفَلْسِف root: ف-ل-س-ف / form II quadriliteral active participle / definition: philosophaster There’s something comforting about being in this library as the Sun goes down and spills through the vast windows in waves of golden orange light, deluging everything around me in a soft, forgiving glow. Or maybe I’m just a would-be academic romanticising thisContinue reading “The “Would-Be” Active Participle in Arabic”

Oman and an Ever-Nearing Return

لُبان root: ل-ب-ن / noun / definition: frankincense Land of frankincense, endless arches, and smiling eyes: Oman, where I spent the past week on a solo trip. And upon my return to Doha, I’m caught off guard by only two-and-a-half weeks left of class and forced to gulp down the reality of flying back toContinue reading “Oman and an Ever-Nearing Return”

Exploring Time in the Arabic Dictionary: “Tomorrow”

غَدًا root: غ-د-و / adverb of time / definition: tomorrow In the new Exploring Time series last week, we took a trip to yesterday. This week, we’re looking ahead: exploring how we can understand the notion of tomorrow through the Arabic dictionary. (Yes, we’re skipping today—call me future-thinking or something.)

Exploring Time in the Arabic Dictionary: “Yesterday”

أَمْسُ root: ء-م-س / noun / definition: yesterday Some places make you feel as though you’ve stepped back into a distant yesterday or an even further yesteryear. And walking through Souq al Wakra at night, past its cosy courtyards snuggled into alleys meandering towards the coast, I’d set foot into a yesterday I was livingContinue reading “Exploring Time in the Arabic Dictionary: “Yesterday””

Small Arabic Words with Conditional Powers

قُوّة root: ق-و-ي / noun / plural: قُوًى / definition: power, force Big things come in small packages—oh wait, that’s not how it goes. Nor is it what I meant actually. Maybe I meant “small but mighty” but didn’t want to sound like I’m advertising laundry detergent pods. Ahem… today we’re looking at a groupContinue reading “Small Arabic Words with Conditional Powers”

Arabic Observations: زوج and جوز

القَلْب root: ق-ل-ب / form I verbal noun / definition: transposition, alteration Something in this library is producing a noise that sits halfway between the whine of a hungry mosquito and the never-ending, impalpable ring of tinnitus, in both sound and annoyingness. I feel like it’s the fluorescent light directly above my head but letContinue reading “Arabic Observations: زوج and جوز”

Arabic’s Chameleon Words: أدّى

المَغرِب root: غ-ر-ب / proper noun / definition: Morocco This week, I’ve been missing Morocco and discovering Taiwanese fried chicken. I’m not sure there’s a direct link there, but who knows? It’s been six weeks in which the Sun has greened my eyes and I can’t fathom returning to London in ten. I’ve been embracingContinue reading “Arabic’s Chameleon Words: أدّى”

Nostalgia, the Library, and Extrapolation

اِسْتِقْراء root: ق-ر-ء / form X verbal noun / definition: extrapolation The three-day conference I attended over the weekend and the start of the week meant that my readings and homework took a backseat—or, more accurately, fell out the boot of the metaphorical car I was taking for a joyride. (Can something be more accurateContinue reading “Nostalgia, the Library, and Extrapolation”

The Feminine Superlative in Arabic: When to Use It

سوق root: س-و-ق / noun / plural: أَسْواق / definition: market, bazaar It’s nearing midnight and I’ve just returned from Souq Waqif having mistakenly ordered a very sugary tea of which I could only drink half before succumbing to the headache and nausea that now strike whenever I consume sugar. A cup of (very muchContinue reading “The Feminine Superlative in Arabic: When to Use It”

Arabic Headline Analysis #10 and an Invitation to Akkadian Class

دَعْوة root: د-ع-و / noun / plural: دَعْوات / definition: invitation, call There’s not much that lifts my spirits like an email from my enthusiastic Akkadian teacher, who reached out a few days back about resuming our language classes in October. As I’m spending a semester here in Qatar (and drowning in the workload ofContinue reading “Arabic Headline Analysis #10 and an Invitation to Akkadian Class”

Six Arabic Verbs Meaning “to Prefer”

حُبّ root: ح-ب-ب / noun / definition: love Deciding to spend the rest of my year studying in Qatar has come with many immediate benefits. For one, it motivated me to finally address a major point of procrastination: sorting through the big bag of miscellanea at the foot of my bed which has been satContinue reading “Six Arabic Verbs Meaning “to Prefer””

Form I Active Participles of Hollow Roots

فَراغ root: ف-ر-غ / noun / definition: void, emptiness I’m wrapping up my last week in London for the next few months on the emptiness of fallen-through plans and the urge to claw out a silent space to curl up in and calm my mind. In the corner of my field of vision, I seeContinue reading “Form I Active Participles of Hollow Roots”

Dictionary Finds: فَوَّزَ

إنْجاز root: ن-ج-ز / form IV verbal noun / definition: milestone Have I really written five hundred posts on this blog? It seems so. I would reflect more deeply on this milestone, but there’s an open suitcase on the living room floor with a four-month supply of my various vitamins, four pairs of shoes, enoughContinue reading “Dictionary Finds: فَوَّزَ”

Prepositions and Pronoun Suffixes: Pronunciation Shifts

نُطْق root: ن-ط-ق / noun / definition: pronunciation We’re probably all aware that Arabic prepositions can take pronoun suffixes to denote the object. For example, we can add the suffix ـكَ (you) to مَعَ (with) to give us مَعَكَ (with you). However, when we add (certain) pronoun suffixes to certain prepositions, the spelling and pronunciationContinue reading “Prepositions and Pronoun Suffixes: Pronunciation Shifts”

Arabic’s Chameleon Words: حقّق

حَقّ root: ح-ق-ق / noun / definition: truth After I washed down the social anxieties of last week with a few Kalms‘, I woke up this Monday looking ahead to an empty social calendar for the next two weeks. Huh. Feels odd. Well, it’ll give me some time to work on creating more content forContinue reading “Arabic’s Chameleon Words: حقّق”

A New Resource and a New Schedule

جَلْسة root: ج-ل-س / noun / plural: جَلسات / definition: session I coerced myself into attending an online writing session starting at 10am this morning so the sense of accountability from strangers’ faces in boxes on my screen would push me to finally write up and send off the short article that hadn’t made itContinue reading “A New Resource and a New Schedule”

Some Arabic Words for “Darkness”

اِسْحِنْكاك root: س-ح-ك / form XIV verbal noun / definition: to be extremely dark Last week for me was full of meetings, meet-ups, appointments, and a good three-hour conversation over dinner. So my productivity and social battery, this week, are dragging their feet to recovery—and taking a few hits on the way. But we’re onContinue reading “Some Arabic Words for “Darkness””