'Al samt': Arabic for silence covers the wise and the foolish

The word can shift between a state, a command and a place

When a person quiets a friend, whether with words or with a glance, you could say sammata sadeeqahu/sadeeqaha

Al samt is Arabic for silence, echoing with wisdom and immobilising, tongue-tied circumstances.

The word takes on many forms as it shifts between a state, a command and a place.

When a speaker goes quiet, you can say samata al mutakallem. In present verb form, the word becomes yasmutu/tasmutu, depending whether it's applied to a male or female subject.

When a person quiets his friend, with words or with a glance, you could say sammata sadeequhu/sadeequha.

Ismot is Arabic for shut up, a word you hopefully use sparingly. However, when extremely riled up you could embellish it with, ismot matissammaani sowtak, shut up, don’t let me hear your voice. But remember: only in extreme circumstances.

Daqiqat samt is a minute of silence.

Dalla samitan/dallat samitaten is when a person stays quiet.

Samata dahran wa nataka kufran is a phrase that describes a person who stays quiet for long, only to end up saying something that is less than worthwhile.

On the other hand, silence is sometimes the most meaningful response. Al samt mut’ib walakin yabqa arqa wasila lilrad ala katheer min al kalam, silence is tiring but it remains the best way to respond to many words.

La hikmata kal samt, there is no wisdom like silence.

Sada samt al makan is when silence echoes in a place.

Al samt sadeequka al waheed al lathi lan yakhunaka abadan, silence is the only friend who will never betray you.

Nasmotu ahyanan li’annana na’ref anna hadithuna lan yughayyira shay'e, we stay silent sometimes because we know our words won’t change anything.

Al smat waqt al fowz thiqa, waqt al ghadab quwwa, waqt al a’maal ibda’a, waqt al isaa'a hikma, waqt al sukhriya taraffo means silence during victory is confidence. During anger, it is strength. During work, creativity. During offence, wisdom. During ridicule, superiority.

Egyptian novelist and Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz has a famous quote that touches on al samt.

"Al samt huwa al muhawala al akhira li ikhbarihom bikulli shay'e lam yafhamuhu heen kunna natakalam," silence is the last attempt to tell them everything they couldn’t understand as you were speaking.

There are several songs, films and television shows in Arabic with al samt as themes and titles.

These include Saudi Arabian singer Rabeh Saqr’s Ughniyat Al Samt (The Song of Silence). Samt Al Qusoor (The Silences of the Palace) is a 1994 film starring Hend Sabry and set in a Tunisia emerging from the yoke of colonialism. Zaman Al Samt (The Period of Silence) is a Syrian comedy series starring Ayman Zidan, it is also the title of a popular song by Saudi oud player and singer Talal Maddah.

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