Hidden treasures of language: Emirati researchers search for nuances in dialects

Bedouin tribes often differ in the way they pronounce and use words, but isolated tribes maintained their distinctions for longer, while other dialects are now evolving. AP Photo

There are more than 20 Emirati dialects but researchers continue to dig for more nuances in common expressions in a country where words can vary over just a few kilometres thanks to a host of cultures that have left their mark.

A group of Emirati researchers are discovering the hidden treasures language holds. The more they dig into it, the more they find it is an ever-evolving “living beast”.

The Emirati dialect has origins that go back centuries and new manifestations that reflect more than just words.

“People will be surprised to know that there are more than 20 Emirati dialects,” says Sultan Al Amimi, director of the Academy of Poetry in Abu Dhabi, who has been researching Emirati dialects for 10 years.

“From the different tribes to the different habitats and locations, all of these factors contributed to the evolution of different dialects in the UAE.”

Mr Al Amimi will be discussing what he discovered through his research with two other speakers tonight as part of Zayed National Museum’s Multaqa series.

Abdulaziz Al Musallam, chairman of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage, and researcher and writer Ahmed Obaid will join him for the talk, entitled Language of the Land.

The three will explore the beauty and intricacies of the Emirati language and examine the impact modern communication and historical foreign influences have had on its development.

“I developed a new appreciation for my language as I saw how deep and varied it was, and how it truly defines our history and identity,” says Mr Al Amimi.

His work involves itemising and examining different dialects and vernaculars across the UAE, which he eventually plans to release in a reference text, along with recordings made of interviews with the country’s elders.

There are three different dialects alone among the Al Badiya Bedu of Abu Dhabi, Mr Al Amimi says.

“It is like each dialect is unique, as each tribe wants to be unique and have its own identity since language is tied to identity, but at the same time, all the dialects are part of the greater mosaic and fabric of the UAE,” he says.

Mr Al Amimi says two Bedouin tribes in the Northern Emirates, living just 5 kilometres from each other, have distinct ways of saying my hand, or yad. One says yadi, while the other says eedi.

“A very subtle difference, but it is there, and there are so many interesting instances, with some words hundreds of years old, some tied to Aramaic and other ancient languages of the region,” he says.

One Aramaic word still in use, nashla, means flu or cold, or zukam in Arabic.

“I guess the flu was always around,” he jokes.

All of the tribes from the coast to oases – and those scattered through the mountains – have their own dialect.

Those that have been more isolated have maintained their distinctions for longer, while each has continued to evolve, as has Arabic throughout the region.

“What is interesting is that the same word is used by different tribes but means different things,” says Mr Al Amimi. “The word jash is given to a type of fish by a coastal tribe, but for the oasis tribe, it is a type of palm tree.”

Progress means some older dialects are dying, while Arabic words used throughout the region are replacing those in the Emirati language.

Lebas, which means clothing, has entered the Emirati language but it now means to ignore.

Then there are foreign influences, English, Persian, Indian and Urdu words that have been making their way into Emirati dialect over many years. They include brosh, derived from brush, lecen from licence and drewel, derived from driver.

“One of the frustrating things is that the new generation is using generic Emirati language, where they generalise and don’t know the details any more,” says Mr Al Amimi.

“Before, families of the coast knew the 200 or 300 names of fish. Today, young Emiratis just call them samaka, or plain fish.

“The beauty is in the details and we should not lose them.”

Mr Obaid agrees with the importance of details, the way the words are spoken and how we pronounce them.

“Letters that changed the way we emphasise what letters are used where and what it has been substituted with – all these little things matter when it comes to understanding our language,” says the author of five books on Emirati language. Names such as Mohammed become Hama in some dialects, and letters change position in a word without changing the meaning. Safaq could be saqef, with both still meaning applause.

“The form known as al ebdal – to replace – is quite common, where a letter is put in place of another letter without changing the meaning. For example, masjid – mosque – can be masyid,” Mr Obaid says. “Qoul – to say – becomes goul.”

Sharjah’s name has many version: some call it Al Sharqah, while others call it Al Sharghah.

“What is critical is for everyone to speak to their children in the dialects they have inherited from their parents, if the dialect is to survive,” Mr Obaid says.

“It is important to take your children to the elders of your neighbourhood so they learn to speak and understand the different dialects.” Isluj al bab, which roughly translates to slide the door, is an expression that has become extinct, as today’s doors are different to those of the past.

So today, isluj is no longer used when referring to the door. Instead, it is simply iftah (open) or iqfel (close) the door, says Mr Obaid.

It is for the very importance of preserving and documenting language that the latest Multaqa decided to focus on the Emirati language form.

“Language is identity, and given its importance, we wanted to inspire the public to look into this topic as there isn’t much research on language,” says Salama Al Shamsi, project manager for Zayed National Museum.

Organisers are hoping the talk will spark interest among a new generation of Emiratis to “start documenting and researching this topic”, she says. “There are different dialects and sometimes within the same tribe, there is no agreement on the actual words or terms used.

“Even what you call your mother is different within the same family. In Al Ain, most of them say omaya, but within Al Ain, some say omeya, and then there are those who say mommy.

Different generations, different tribes and different exposures all play a role.”

A large section of Zayed National Museum will be devoted to languages, poetry and oral history and its development in different contexts.

Tonight’s Multaqa marks International Museum Day, established by the International Council of Museums in 1977.

From the use of classical Arabic words – some taken from the Quran – to ancient languages to the modernisation and foreign influences of words, the Emirati dialect continues to evolve as an oral heritage.

“It is a really interesting field,” says Ms Al Shamsi. “I discover something new each time. For example, for the power house near Wahda Mall in Abu Dhabi, the local version of that word became barhose.”

Language of the Land, on Wednesday at Manarat Al Saadiyat from 7pm to 8.30pm.