In The Fall of the House of Usher, first published in 1839, American writer Edgar Allan Poe writes: “I felt that I breathed an atmosphere of sorrow.”
The popular short story is a work of Gothic fiction. This genre of literary writing relies on creating a haunting mood of fear and suspense through details from both the physical and supernatural world, as well as in the moods of the character and the style of writing.
Poe uses the word “atmosphere” to not only suggest a state within a scenario, but something that is also tangible that the character is able to breathe in. This double function of the word follows the general definition of this week’s Arabic word of the week, in its classic and colloquial use.
Ajwaa'a is a noun as well as the plural of the singular word jaow.
Made up of the two Arabic letters geem and waw, jaow is defined as the air around us in any context, both indoors or outdoors. It is the space between the sky and the earth, while also describing whatever is above and around any singular person or object.
Such a broad and yet specific definition for the word jaow naturally lends itself to a variety of meanings that are also connected to each other.
-
Hob is the Arabic word for love, but can be used in many contexts -
The Arabic word helu translates, in English, to sweet -
Nashef is the Arabic word for dry, but has many connotations, depending on the context in which you use it -
The Arabic word hurriyeh translates to freedom in English -
The Arabic word tayeb can mean delicious or good, depending on the context -
The Arabic word mustaqbal is best expressed as future in English -
Waqaa, the Arabic word for fall, can signify a loss of power, stature, health or grace -
Hudood means borders in English -
The Arabic word rooh translates to spirit or soul in English -
The Arabic word ain means eye in English -
Waraq, the Arabic word of the week means paper in English -
Bahr, the Arabic for sea, has a poetic lilt -
Kareem means generous in English -
Bab means door in English -
Eid means holiday or festival -
Najm means star for the night sky and cosmos, but also has plenty of other meanings, including ambition or fame -
Alwan, the Arabic word for colours, has many shades of meaning -
Akel can refer to home-cooked meals, embezzlement, fire and rust -
Jamal is the Arabic word for beauty, be it literal or figurative -
Herfe translates to profession or craft -
Tabiaa translates to nature and can frame landscapes and portraits -
Sehha is the Arabic word for health -
Ijaza is Arabic for holiday and shines in summer but is not stress-free -
Aamal is the Arabic word for work -
Al dahr translates to time -
Qalb is a word for heart, with poetic roots -
Lugha in Arabic translates to language in English -
Insaan means human being -
Na'eeman is an idiomatic expression used when someone has had a shower or bath, a haircut or had their beard trimmed -
The Arabic word for life touches on eternity, death and accomplishment -
Qamar is the Arabic for moon -
The Arabic word for strength or power is quwwa -
Burj is Arabic for tower -
The Arabic word for sun is shams -
Sabr in English can translate to patience -
Hayba is the Arabic word for prestige -
The Arabic term al shay'e translates as 'the thing' in English -
The Arabic word for road is tareeq -
The Arabic word for read has mystical and scholarly connotations -
Istikan is the Arabic word for a type of tea cup -
The Arabic word hanan means affection in English -
The Arabic word atlal means ruins in English -
Kura is the Arabic word for ball, in all its forms -
Janaah in Arabic means wing in English -
The Arabic word sana translates to year in English -
Qasida is the Arabic for poem, not poetry -
Ameer, the Arabic word for prince, which influenced another English title -
Nakhla translates to palm tree in English -
Al samt is the Arabic for silence -
Kalimaat translates to words in English -
Markaz is Arabic for centre -
Beshara is the Arabic word for good news -
Bayt is the Arabic for house or home -
Fann is the Arabic word for art, and can be either a verb or an adjective -
Isim, which means name, is made up of three letters, alif, seen and meem -
Dunya is the Arabic word for world -
Nazaafah translates to cleanliness in English -
Many traditions revolve around drinking coffee, including weddings, funerals and business meetings -
Fajr is the Arabic word for dawn -
Maghrib is the Arabic word for sunset -
The Arabic language is filled with idioms, quotes and colloquial quips involving the mirror -
Raei is the Arabic word for opinion -
Wa'ed is a multifaceted word for 'promise', as well as a female name -
Qussa is the Arabic word for story -
Sadaaka is the Arabic word for friendship -
Akhbaar is the Arabic word for news -
Rasem is made up of the three Arabic letters Rah, Seen and Meem. While it can simply mean a drawing or a sketch it’s also a malleable word whose definition can change depending on context and dialect – particularly between colloquial and classical Arabic. -
As well as finishing a task, khatem denotes a deeper sense of finality -
Commonly translated to blessed, mubarak is used as a popular greeting on auspicious days -
The Arabic word for lighthouse is also a term that has become closely associated with Islam -
Siyaam, the Arabic word for fasting is also connected to silence -
Tawbah, the Arabic word for repentance, is also connected to Ramadan -
Safar, the Arabic Word for travel can also refer to sunny days, a brighter-blazing fire or exile. The National
The word jaow is often used in reference to the physical weather. For example, the jaow can be cold, hot, humid or fresh.
This meaning of jaow in Arabic also extends to different references connected to the physical atmosphere, in particular to the air and sky. For example, defaa’a al jawwe means air force, khoutout al jawweya are the airways and arsaad al jawwiya is the scientific knowledge and study of weather.
Jaow can also refer to very specific large, physical spaces. For example the word jewa, derived from jaow, describes the space between structures such as homes or the space between valleys.
While ajwaa'a is the plural of the word jaow, it also has its own distinct meaning.
In classical Arabic, it can refer to the weather or the physical space in the sky but can also reference emotional mood or atmosphere. This particular meaning is the one most often used in colloquial Arabic across dialects.
Ajwaa’a in Arabic combines the meanings of both mood and atmosphere as they are understood in English.
It is a reference to the ambience that is created by the weather, architecture, a work of art or even a set of colours.
It can also refer to the mood of a gathering or party, the general mood in someone’s home or the emotional state of a person or a group of people. For example, it is expected that during the Eid holidays, the ajwaa’a will be celebratory and joyful.
In general, ajwaa'a is the overall feeling or tone an individual can be receptive to when they enter a particular space.
