'Jamal': Arabic word for beauty, be it literal or figurative

This is a term whose meaning, fittingly, is in the eye of the beholder

The Arabic word of the week is jamal, which translates to beauty.

The Arabic word of the week finds meaning in the eye of the beholder.

Jamal is Arabic for beauty, and much like what it tries to signify, the word shifts between the literal and the figurative, adapting to taste and emotion, and escaping any unifying measure or absolute definition.

For that matter, aesthetics as the philosophical study of beauty and taste, is known as ilm al jamal.

Jamal is a common Arabic name for boys, with Jameela its female variation.

Rajol jameel is a beautiful man. Imraa jameela is a beautiful woman. Jamaluha/jamalahu faten is a spellbinding type of beauty. A beautiful child is tifl jameel or tifla jameela.

Malikat jamal is a beauty queen. Jamal al tabia can be said when regarding nature’s glamour. Jamal al zuhoor is the beauty of flowers. Kalam jameel can be said of a moving speech or compliment.

Akhlaq jameela can be said of good manners or upbringing. Sifat jameela are beautiful characteristics. Al funoon al jameela are the fine arts.

Plastic surgery is commonly referred to as tajmeel, or beautification. Atibaa tajmeel are plastic surgeons. Jammala anfahu or jammallat anfaha can be said of someone who undergoes rhinoplasty.

Jammala suratahu or jammalat surataha can be said of someone polishing their public profile. An ingrate can be referred to as naker/nakerat al jameel.

A recurring motif in Arabic maxims, especially when referring to kindness, here are a few expressions that use the word jamal.

Jamal billa teeba la yusawi shayaan translates to “beauty without kindness is worth nothing”.

Al jamal fi al basata is “beauty in simplicity”.

Al jameel laisa tayiban daeman, walakin al tayib jameel daeman is a saying that translates as “the beautiful is not always kind, but the kind is always beautiful”.