Tag Archives: learning

A New App: ArabyBuddy

تَطْبيق root: ط-ب-ق / form II verbal noun / plural: تَطْبيقات / definition: app, application I n three Tuesdays it’ll be autumn—but no one has time to dwell on that because, here in London, we’re being pulled into the swell of a fifth heatwave and our fridge is still full of pink-red watermelon. So, we’reContinue reading “A New App: ArabyBuddy”

Arabic’s Chameleon Words: قام

أَجْوَف root: ج-و-ف / adjective / definition: hollow Two weeks ago, in one of our Academic Arabic posts, we looked at the form I, hollow verb قامَ which—when followed by بِـ—means “to carry out or undertake”. But قام holds many meanings. And its meaning in any given place is dictated by the semantic and syntacticContinue reading “Arabic’s Chameleon Words: قام”

The Many Meanings of وَ

فَلَك root: ف-ل-ك / noun / plural: أَفْلاك / definition: celestial orbit July is waning and August, only four moonrises away, awaits expectantly. And I, in four new moons, reach 29 (or 30, Turkish-ly speaking) and all this talk of moons is sending me into an orbital spin. Whatever that may mean. And speaking ofContinue reading “The Many Meanings of وَ”

Dictionary Finds: Come Rain or Shine

يَصيفُ root: ص-ي-ف / form I present tense, hollow verb / definition: to be summery It’s mid-July. Summer’s peak. And while most have their faces stubbornly positioned in a fan’s airpath, my own spectacled one has been nestled warmly into the dictionary’s pages. It seems that, come rain or shine, my mind will always beContinue reading “Dictionary Finds: Come Rain or Shine”

Pins, Needles, and a Pause

تَنْميل root: ن-م-ل / form II verbal noun / definition: pins and needles I never thought I’d have to send a sick leave request with “pins and needles” as the reason—but each season homes realisations of the unexpected, and I submitted my GP note with bated breath and tingling limbs. A four-week PhD pause, onContinue reading “Pins, Needles, and a Pause”

Exploring Time in the Arabic Dictionary: “Season”

هَنْهونة root: ه-ن-ه-ن / noun / definition: lullaby Tuesday’s early-hours London sky boomed and ignited in thunderstorm, and I—with my passionate affection for summer storms—heard the rumbles and roars as cradlesong and slipped effortlessly back into sleep after dawn prayer. I was, however, mildly fearful that the “triangle of death” would fly into my room;Continue reading “Exploring Time in the Arabic Dictionary: “Season””

Same Rule, Another Noun: عِزون

مَعْرَج root: ع-ر-ج / noun of place / plural: مَعارِج / definition: place or route of ascent Over a year ago, in Non-Human Nouns, Human Plurals, we explored some non-human nouns that—unexpectedly—take on sound, masculine plural forms (which are usually reserved for nouns referring to humans). Think: سِنون and عالَمون and أولون. Or, with a differentContinue reading “Same Rule, Another Noun: عِزون”

Four Shared Words for Camels in Arabic and Akkadian

إبِل root: ء-ب-ل / collective noun / definition: camels I learnt a new phrase this weekend, from an Arabic-speaking guy who drove three hours to an underwhelming event and told us: أَكَلْنا خازوق. Basically, as my husband put it, it means he took an L. In other words, “we’ve been done”. Or, in ever-so-slightly-less colloquialContinue reading “Four Shared Words for Camels in Arabic and Akkadian”

Root Exploration: Venus, Mars, and Saturn

كَوْكَب root: ك-و-ك-ب / noun / plural: كَواكِب / definition: planet (compare with the Akkadian) Isn’t it ironic (or maybe just careless of me) that I placed all of my winter boots in storage just before the heavens opened over London last night and left us deluged in a mizzle-to-downpour pendulum. My friend questioned myContinue reading “Root Exploration: Venus, Mars, and Saturn”