The Arabic Pages

thearabicpages.com | Two new posts a week

[thearabicpagesblog]

Wehr Wednesdays #354

A new word or phrase from the Hans Wehr dictionary, every Wednesday. (more…)

View On WordPress

[thearabicpagesblog]

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’re still firmly in الصَّيْف (summer). And that reminds me of last month’s dictionary find.…

View On WordPress

[thearabicpagesblog]

Wehr Wednesdays #353

A new word or phrase from the Hans Wehr dictionary, every Wednesday. (more…)

View On WordPress

[thearabicpagesblog]

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 syntactic context. (Keeping an eye out for the following preposition is key!) Shall we…

View On WordPress

[thearabicpagesblog]

Wehr Wednesdays #352

A new word or phrase from the Hans Wehr dictionary, every Wednesday. (more…)

View On WordPress

[thearabicpagesblog]

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 of counting and meaning, did you know that there’s a one-letter Arabic particle that…

View On WordPress

[thearabicpagesblog]

Wehr Wednesdays #351

A new word or phrase from the Hans Wehr dictionary, every Wednesday. (more…)

View On WordPress

[thearabicpagesblog]

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 verbs that you’ll read or hear in academic contexts. They’re pretty much academic ways…

View On WordPress

[thearabicpagesblog]

Wehr Wednesdays #350

A new word or phrase from the Hans Wehr dictionary, every Wednesday. (more…)

View On WordPress

[thearabicpagesblog]

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 be drawn back to one place. And—oh!—there’s an Arabic phrase for that. Come…

View On WordPress

[thearabicpagesblog]

Wehr Wednesdays #349

A new word or phrase from the Hans Wehr dictionary, every Wednesday. (more…)

View On WordPress

[thearabicpagesblog]

Arabic Observations: Warm Hearts, Cool Eyes

قُرّ root: ق-ر-ر / noun / definition: cold, coolness I’ve been napping a lot lately. Sometimes two or three times a day. My body feels heavy with a fatigue that pulls down my eyelids and drags my centre of gravity to the nearest flat surface to search for rest in the land of nod. But no matter how much I sleep, or how I spend the day, no nodding-off awakens me. Doctors have even studied my…

View On WordPress

[thearabicpagesblog]

Wehr Wednesdays #348

A new word or phrase from the Hans Wehr dictionary, every Wednesday. (more…)

View On WordPress

[thearabicpagesblog]

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, on my doctor’s recommendation. Since my trip to A&E back in April, not much has…

View On WordPress

[thearabicpagesblog]

Wehr Wednesdays #347

A new word or phrase from the Hans Wehr dictionary, every Wednesday. (more…)

View On WordPress

[thearabicpagesblog]

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; that is, the giant and blurry moth I…

View On WordPress

[thearabicpagesblog]

Wehr Wednesdays #346

A new word or phrase from the Hans Wehr dictionary, every Wednesday. (more…)

View On WordPress