Tag Archives: learning

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””

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”

Root Exploration: ء-ب-د

دَهْر root: د-ه-ر / noun / plural: دُهور / definition: long period of time, epoch If you’ve been reading closely, you’ll have noticed that I’ve been talking about time a lot lately. My term of studying here in Doha officially ends next week, and it’s as though I’m inside an hourglass trying to grapple withContinue reading “Root Exploration: ء-ب-د”

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”