May is a significant month not only for the history of the UAE but for the Gulf region.
On May 25, 1981, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar officially formed the Gulf Co-operation Council. Fifteen years later, on May 20, 1996, at a meeting of the Federal Supreme Council of the UAE, the provisional Constitution was made permanent and Abu Dhabi was officially named the capital.
In each instance, this week’s Arabic word of the week, etihad, meaning union, was an important theme nationally and regionally.
Etihad is a noun whose official and perhaps more conceptual meaning is to combine or mix different elements, so they become one. A more general and common meaning for Etihad is an agreement or the concept of coming together. Both of these meanings include the ideas of physically coming together but also uniting socially or spiritually.
The origin of the word etihad is the verb etihada, which means to unite or to agree or to form a union of some sort. It's derived from the four Arabic letters Alif, Tah, Ha’a and Dal.
There are various ways etihad is used in formal language through phrases and expressions that denote positive connotations of unity.
There is the idea of al etihad al watani, which translates to the union of a country, meaning one nation coming together for a common goal or vision. Another example is ramiz al etihad, which refers to the visual representation of a nation through a symbol of some sort, such as a flag or logo.
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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
Etihad is also used to mean a union of any sort within various sectors, clubs or hobbies.
It specifically can refer to a gathering of people, united through shared goals and visions or who are protesting against or advocating the same issues. This can refer to a writer’s union, a student union or a larger corporation or even a group of countries, such as the European Union.
From a philosophical or spiritual perspective, etihad can refer to a combination of two things or more in a moment of enlightenment or elevation. This can combine the soul, spirit, or emotions with the body.
Whether from an intimate and individual perspective to a smaller group of people and then to large entities and even political, social and nationalistic purposes, etihad is the idea of becoming one, uniting, for a greater goal.
There are several words that also share the same four Arabic letters that are connected to the concepts and values to the definition of etihad.
There is wahid, which simply means number one.
Then there is wahada, often used in the phrase wahada Allah, which is to proclaim your belief in, alignment and surrender to God. The same word is used in the concept of wahada al qoum, which is one person bringing a group, tribe or an army of people together physically, and to work towards one goal.
Then there is waheda, which can be seen as having slightly more negative connotations, referring to the idea of something that becomes alone, separate or even lonely.
It’s interesting to note that the word etihad and the other words connected to it, while referring to the idea of unity, inadvertently also refer to the concept of separating from a group or from one’s former self, to evolve into something better.
The word etihad has become prevalent in common vernacular, particularly in the UAE.
Etihad Airways is the national airline of the country, the Etihad Arena on Yas Island is one of the Middle East’s largest indoor entertainment venues. Al-Ittihad newspaper was the first Arabic language daily publication in the country, launched in 1969.
Even the Arabic name of the UAE includes the word moutahida, which is a variation of the word etihad.
The concept of etihad is not one of the UAE's core values but it is deeply embedded in its history and identity. Unity is a thread in the multicultural citizens that make up the population of the UAE, but also between the seven emirates and across the Gulf.
