Because of all the suspense and spice surrounding the Fifa World Cup, or despite it, there’s a melancholy that strikes when an event this big comes to an end. Even in its steady, four-year build up, the event is riveting and unifies the globe with all its dramatic and generally positive overtones. No matter what you think of football, it was hard to escape the excitement in the Arab world as Morocco led Mena’s entry into the final four, or when Saudi Arabia, against all expectations, defeated the would-be winners Argentina in their opening game.
It has been a thrilling 28 days and we’re not quite ready to say goodbye to football yet, so for this week's Arabic word we’ll be looking at one that embodies the sport, the world it animates and the globe.
Kura is Arabic for ball. Al kura al ardiya is Planet Earth or a globe representing it. Kurat al qadam is football. When the kura fi al marma, it means it’s in the goal; outside would be kharej al marma. When the "ball is in your court", you can say al kura al aan fi malaabak/malaabik.
-
Alfredo Foni, left, of Italy tries in vain to reach a cross during the 1938 World Cup final against Hungary in Paris, France. Italy won the match and trophy 4-2. Getty -
Uruguay’s Alcides Ghiggia, centre, scores the match-winner to silence Brazil in the World Cup final at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on July 16, 1950. -
German 1954 world champion Horst Eckel, left. AFP -
Brazilian Djalma Santos, centre, tackles French goalkeeper Claude Abbes during the 1958 World Cup semi-final in Stockholm. Brazil beat France 5-2 to advance to the final. AFP -
English referee Ken Aston sends off Mario David during the 1962 World Cup match between Italy and Chile in Santiago. The match was remarkably violent with two Italians being sent off and another having his nose broken by a punch from a Chilean player. Italy won the match 2-0. Getty -
England's Jimmy Greaves dribbles through a set of poles ahead of the 1966 World Cup squad. PA -
England take on West German during their 1970 World Cup quarter-final at Estadio Guanajuato. Action Images -
Gerd Mueller, centre, fights for the ball with Wim Rijsbergen at the Olympic Stadium in Munich during the 1974 World Cup final between Germany and the Netherlands. EPA -
Zico of Brazil rides a challenge during the 1978 World Cup group match against Spain in Mar Del Plata, Argentina. Getty -
Socrates in typically elegant stride during one of arguably the World Cup's greatest matches: Brazil v Italy in 1982. Italy won 3-2. -
England captain and midfiedler Bryan Robson is fouled by Moroccan Mostafa El Biaz during the World Cup first round match on June 6, 1986 in Monterrey. AFP -
UAE forward Adnan Al Talyani during the World Cup first round match against Yugoslavia on June 19, 1990 at the Renato Dall'Ara stadium in Bologna, Italy. AFP -
Jurgen Klinsmann of Germany and Gustavo Quinteros of Bolivia in action during their World Cup match on June 17, 1994 in Chicago, US. Getty -
Colombia's Anthony de Avila dribbles past England's Sol Campbell during their 1998 World Cup first round match on June 27, 1998. AFP -
China's Chen Yang kicks the ball in front of Costa Rica's Harold Wallace during their 2022 World Cup match in Kwangju. -
French midfielder Zinedine Zidane during the World Cup 2006 semi-final against Portugal at Munich Stadium. AFP -
Siphiwe Tshabalala of South Africa scores during the 2010 World Cup match against Mexico. -
Yacine Brahimi of Algeria scores his team's fourth goal in their match against South Korea at the 2014 World Cup. Getty -
Portugal goalkeeper Rui Patricio saves a header from Younes Belhanda at the 2018 World Cup. Reuters
Kurat al saleh is basketball. Kurat al yad, hand ball. Tennis is kurat al madreb. Kurat al billiard are billiard balls. Handasa kurawiya is spherical geometry. Blood cells are also known as kurat al dam. Kura al nariya is the mushroom cloud seen after a nuclear blast.
Here are a few quotes by famous footballers, but in Arabic. First by Lionel Messi:
“Fi kurat al qadam kama fi sinaa’t al sa’at, al mowheba wal anaqa la ya’niyan aia shai bidoon al diqqa wal sarama.”
“In football as in watchmaking, talent and elegance mean nothing without rigour and precision.”
Neymar on playing not to win prizes, such as the golden ball, but to be happy:
“Ana la ala’b li fowz bi jaizet al kura al dhahabiye, ala’ab kurat al qadam li akoon saeedan ― because I love playing it and want to play it.”
For Christian Ronaldo, life is meaningless without football:
“Bidoon kurat al qadam, al hayat la yisawi sheiyaan.”
-
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
