Tag Archives: language

Four Arabic Phrases Meaning “Unable to Speak”

الاِنجِذاب root: ج-ذ-ب / form VII verbal noun / definition: gravitation (towards, إلى) Since late 2019, I’ve been writing two posts a week on this blog—one of which is always an addition to the Wehr Wednesdays series. Every Wednesday, or just before it, I pick a random word or phrase from my list of “coolContinue reading “Four Arabic Phrases Meaning “Unable to Speak””

Resource: Free Arabic e-Books

مَجّانًا root: م-ج-ن / adverb / definition: for free, without charge Saying I had “errands to run” this morning feels very grown-up. Then I remember I’m 27, and I am a grown-up. I somehow feel like my twenties are round-two of being a toddler: here I am, bobbing about, experiencing every new first with pitifulContinue reading “Resource: Free Arabic e-Books”

Arabic Epiphanies in Akkadian Class: خلق, the Rule of 12, and 19 Verb Forms

خَلَقَ root: خ-ل-ق / form I verb / definition: to create I’ve taken on a few new projects recently which have made for an exciting–albeit very busy—week. My tranquil Monday mood helped me to take everything in my stride… and the giant pizza over a business dinner didn’t hurt mood-wise either. But in between reviewingContinue reading “Arabic Epiphanies in Akkadian Class: خلق, the Rule of 12, and 19 Verb Forms”

Date Syrup, the Ocean, and Nuts

دِبْس root: د-ب-س / noun / definition: syrup, molasses It’s a blissfully slow morning. I roll out of bed and into my rocking chair. I send off a funding application and set up a new website. I make a plan for the day. I still need to send some emails, prepare work for my supervisorContinue reading “Date Syrup, the Ocean, and Nuts”

What’s the Difference Between ما إذا and إذا ما?

نِسْيان root: ن-س-ي / form I verbal noun / definition: oblivion, forgetfulness Winter is deepening and I realised I left my productive research routine somewhere between نيسان (last April) and نسيان (oblivion), and the upward crawl to find it again over the rim of the crater is proving to be a… task. I don’t knowContinue reading “What’s the Difference Between ما إذا and إذا ما?”

Exploring Time in the Arabic Dictionary: Is سنة Longer than عام?

سَنَة root: س-ن-ه or س-ن / noun / definition: year Both سَنة and عام are translated into English as “year”, and they’re used interchangeably. So why does the dictionary tell us that one of these years is longer than the other? What’s the real difference between these two words?

Four Dual Nouns Meaning “Day and Night”

نَهار root: ن-ه-ر / noun / plural: أَنهُر / definition: day, daytime At the beginning of the year, we looked at some dual nouns which carry the meaning of “the Sun and the Moon“, because sometimes the dual is used to refer to a pair of things often mentioned together. So, I thought, why don’tContinue reading “Four Dual Nouns Meaning “Day and Night””

Reading Arabic Literature: Endings and Never-Endings

نِهائيّ root: ن-ه-ي / nisba adjective / definition: final, definitive It’s becoming a pattern in my life, I’ve noticed, that things end in winter. I can’t wait to bid farewell to this season of goodbyes, some of which have felt final. What feels endless, on the other hand, is having my head buried in literature.Continue reading “Reading Arabic Literature: Endings and Never-Endings”

Academic Arabic: Some Form II Verbal Nouns

ضَجَر root: ض-ج-ر / noun / definition: restlessness I’ve been feeling a little unsettled for the past week. I can’t seem to sit still and write, despite “sitting still and writing” equating to approximately half of my to-do list. So, in an attempt to offset this restlessness, or—perhaps more accurately—appease it, I’ve decided to startContinue reading “Academic Arabic: Some Form II Verbal Nouns”

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””