An Arabic saying claims that if you were to learn the Arabic language, you’d become a maestro without the need for musical instruments.
“Takallam al Arabiyya wa ialam maaniha, takun musiqiyyan bidoon allaat musiqiyya.”
While we don’t expect these weekly explorations of Arabic words to make you proficient in the language, we do hope to instil a fascination for its lilts, expressions and meanings. Or maybe even nudge you towards learning the language.
But be warned, as another expression says: “Man taallam al lughat al Arabiyya iktashafa aamaaqan la yazalu yaghoosu feeha.” Who learns the Arabic language discovers depths they are still diving into.
But let’s go back to the surface: lugha is Arabic for language, and while you can say lughat al-Arabiya or simply al-Arabiya to signify the Arabic language itself, it's also known by all sorts of monikers.
It is known as lughat al-Quran, or language of the Quran, because it is the liturgical language of Islam.
Early grammarians also referred to Arabic as lughat al dad, or language of the dad, after the letter, which is pronounced with an emphatic "d".
Arabic is generally divided into two categories: fusha or classical Arabic, and al ammiyye or colloquial.
Ilm al lugha is the study of language. A grammarian or linguist for that matter is known as a lughawi. Kutub al lugha are books related to language, such as the dictionary (qamoos).
Al lugha al umm is a person’s mother tongue.
Uhadi al lugha is monolingual. Bilingual, meanwhile, is thuna'iyyu al lugha.
Lughat al jism is body language. Lughat al aala is machine code in computer programming.
Lughat al uyoon or al quloob is the language of love or passion.
Lugha mayyita is a dead language that is no longer in use (unlike this one).
The biog
Age: 32
Qualifications: Diploma in engineering from TSI Technical Institute, bachelor’s degree in accounting from Dubai’s Al Ghurair University, master’s degree in human resources from Abu Dhabi University, currently third years PHD in strategy of human resources.
Favourite mountain range: The Himalayas
Favourite experience: Two months trekking in Alaska
Results:
6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 2,000m - Winner: Powderhouse, Sam Hitchcott (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap Dh165,000 2,200m - Winner: Heraldic, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
7.40pm: Conditions Dh240,000 1,600m - Winner: Walking Thunder, Connor Beasley, Ahmed bin Harmash
8.15pm: Handicap Dh190,000 2,000m - Winner: Key Bid, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
8.50pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed Dh265,000 1,200m - Winner: Drafted, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson
9.25pm: Handicap Dh170,000 1,600m - Winner: Cachao, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
10pm: Handicap Dh190,000 1,400m - Winner: Rodaini, Connor Beasley, Ahmed bin Harmash
Zimbabwe v UAE, ODI series
All matches at the Harare Sports Club:
1st ODI, Wednesday, April 10
2nd ODI, Friday, April 12
3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14
4th ODI, Tuesday, April 16
UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
