'Kitab': the Arabic word for book has a lyrical history

The term and its meaning are derived from the word for 'to write'

Kitab is the Arabic word for book. The National

Kitab, our Arabic word of the week, is the name of a simple object that has changed the world, the book.

From the scrolls of ancient Egypt and the codex of the Romans, to the Chinese’s invention of paper, and what is considered the first official printed book in The Diamond Sutra in AD 868, the book evolved over the centuries.

Kitab, or a book, is a collection of pages, inscribed with words, about one topic, or several topics within a theme, a story, a poem, a novel, bound together between a front and back cover.

Whether used to tell stories, record history or share information, the word kitab is a purely Arabic word. Its root derives from the word kataba, meaning “to write”. So it’s fair to say that the book came to be as a result of the act of writing.

The word kataba is also the source of several other words. Katib meaning writer, maktaba, which means library, and katateeb, which is a school dedicated to the studying and memorising of the Quran.

A katateeb is a school dedicated to the studying and memorising of the Quran. AFP

Islam and the Quran have a great historical influence on books and literature in the Arab world. To start, the word Quran derives from the word qaraʼa, meaning "he reads" and the first aya, or revelation, that came to the Prophet Muhammad from the angel Gabriel was to read.

Al Kitab, meaning “the book”, is sometimes used to reference the Quran or any holy book from the Abrahamic religions. The Quran is also considered the first Arabic book.

During the pre-Islamic period, stories, poetry and speeches were recorded and passed on orally. However, with the revelation of the Quran, many of its passages were written in tablets and scraps and eventually transcribed under Abu Bakr, the senior companion of the Prophet.

The Quran as a book and the religion of Islam had a great and lasting effect on Arabic literature, inspiring writers of prose and poetry for generations and spreading a love for the written word and for books.

Acclaimed Egyptian poet Ahmed Shawky, known as the prince of poets, wrote a poem, The Poem of the Book, in which he details his love for the book.

“I who replaced my companions with books, did not find anyone more faithful than the book,” reads the first sentence of the poem.

Shawky lovingly describes the transformative powers of books while celebrating their ability to archive the past and their diversity in tone from the serious to the humorous. He also cleverly compares books to a loyal friend and advises to choose companions as wisely as one chooses the books they read, since both have the power to influence you for better or for worse.

Scroll through the gallery below to see The National's pick of Arabic words of the week

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