Words make up the world we live in. They are used every day, in speech and in written form and are an integral part of how we communicate, creating the fabric of many cultures.
Kalimaat, The National's Arabic word of the week, means words, the plural of word.
The singular version of kalimaat is kalima, and both refer to the element of speech or writing, which can be used alone or in relation to other words to create a sentence.
So, a kalima is a word in a sentence, while kalimaat are all the words in the sentence. In its written form, like in English, each word in Arabic is written with a space before and after it.
The root of the word comes from the three Arabic letters kaaf, laam and meem, and linguistically both the plural kalimaat and the singular kalima can be nouns, verbs and adjectives.
There are several other words in classical Arabic that derive from the same three Arabic letters, which have links to the use of words and language.
Kalam is a combination of words, a combination of kalimaat, which means talking, describing or recounting, using speech. It also refers to a passage of writing or even at times the subject matter of a poem, speech, article, letter or passage in literature.
Meanwhile, Kaleem means he who speaks to you or he who is assigned to speak to you. The prophet Moses is known as Kaleem Allah, which translates to the speaker of God. As detailed in the Quran, God spoke directly to Moses and not through an angel.
The noun version of kalima or kalimaat is kalim, which refers to any complete or incomplete sentence. Another meaning for the noun kalim is a wound or cut, while kalama is a verb meaning to hurt or injure someone. These two meanings, when seen adjacent to the meaning of kalimaat, denote the power of the words we use to hurt and control others.
Kalimaat or kalima are also used as part of many expressions in Arabic to describe particular roles and situations.
Kalimaat al sirr, which translates to "the secret word", was used in stories to describe a word to enter somewhere forbidden. Today it's used to describe a password for an account.
The expression, sahib al kalima, which translates to owner of the word, describes the person who has the final say or the decision maker in any given situation.
Another popular expression, be koul maana al kalima, which translates to "with every meaning of the word (intended)", is used to describe the emphasis placed on a particular word describing a situation or feature.
Kalimaat was also the title of a 1991 album and very popular single released by Lebanese songstress Majida El Roumi.
The lyrics are taken from the poem of the same name by the renowned Syrian poet, Nizar Qabbani. The poem and the song tell of a woman describing the false promises and illusions her lover painted through the power of words.
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
