Tag Archives: vocabulary

Uncommon Arabic Words for Wife

زَوْجة root: ز-و-ج / noun / definition: wife One way to understand how a particular culturo-linguistic group view a concept is by looking into their dictionary. So, what does the Arabic dictionary tell us about how a wife is perceived? Setting aside the common term زَوجة (literally meaning “one of a pair”), let’s explore someContinue reading “Uncommon Arabic Words for Wife”

Root Exploration: ن-و-ر

نور root: ن-و-ر / noun / plural: أَنْوار / definition: light Perhaps I was too busy playing in the tides of the summer heatwaves to realise that the season was ebbing into the horizon—and then, at six this morning, I woke up to a Sun-less sky and realised the days do feel shorter again. IContinue reading “Root Exploration: ن-و-ر”

Dictionary Finds: Lawlessness and the Last Child

جَريمة root: ج-ر-م / noun / plural: جَرائِم / definition: crime What do youngest siblings have in common with lawlessness? A few ideas might spring to your mind (although I, as the youngest child myself, see no relation whatsoever…). But Arabic dictionaries hold the two definitions under the same term. Let’s see why.

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”

Academic Arabic: Carrying Out, Conducting, Doing

كادَ root: ك-و-د / form I past tense verb / definition: almost When was the last time I wrote an Academic Arabic post? Too long ago, clearly, because I almost forgot this series existed. But since my memory has been jogged, we’re getting back into it. And today, we’re looking at two widely-applicable Arabic verbsContinue reading “Academic Arabic: Carrying Out, Conducting, Doing”

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”