‘Tamalouk’: The Arabic word for ownership possesses royal connections

The term can have various meanings depending on the context

The Arabic word for ownership is tamalouk. Photo: The National

In one of the few poems from the late Abbasid period, Muslim scholar Yaqut al-Hamawi wrote: “O you whose beauty's splendour has owned my being.”

The use of ownership here is not only the verb in the sentence, but the main focal point and meaning behind al-Hamawi’s words. This leads to the Arabic word of the week: Tamalouk, which has several meanings and variations in different cultures.

Tamalouk means ownership, possession, including to currently own something, become the owner of something or when someone has the right to own something. This type of ownership refers to land or assets. It can also mean to have the legal right to something, to hold or have control over property, which also includes occupying that space.

Depending on how the word has been used and the context of a conversation, it can also refer to other aspects of ownership or control. Tamalouk can mean to possess, have or hold something physically or emotionally. It can also refer to having control or ownership over your actions, feelings, or reactions.

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Tamalouk comes from the verb malaka, which is derived from the three Arabic letters Meem, Lam and Kaf. Malaka refers to the action of taking ownership of land by force. In the context of people, it is the action of ruling over a group, for example as a king or queen. This is why the Arabic word for king is malik and for queen is malika. The word malaka can also specifically refer to taking control over one’s own willpower and self.

Tamalouk is one of the classic Arabic words that are understood and used across dialects and accents with slight variations in pronunciation.