There is nothing like receiving good news.
The Arabic word for good news, beshara, combines many meanings associated with good tidings and new beginnings. It is also the name of The National’s latest newsletter, delivering good news from all around the world. You can sign up to it here.
Beshara has two definitions that are closely linked to each other. Those are either good news, or the start of something new and positive.
Beshara is formed from the three Arabic letters, bah, sheen and rah. From this combination of letters, with beshara as the root word, a variety of positive meanings and associations have developed; meanings change depending on the context of the subject and whether the word is used as a noun, verb or in a singular or plural from.
To start with, beshara is good or happy news that is delivered to a person who was otherwise unaware of this piece of information.
In its plural form bashaa'er, the word no longer references news being delivered but the beginnings or the symbol of something new and positive.
For example, the first fruits on a tree would be the bashaa'er of a good spring, the Sun starting to rise is the bashaa'er of a new dawn, thunder and lightning are the bashaa'er of rain, or even the drum roll or first notes of a piece of music is the bashaa'er of a song.
As a verb, beshara can also have several meanings.
In the past and present tense it can mean the act of giving good news to someone. In this instance, the person delivering the good news would be referred to as mubash'sher and the person receiving the good news as basheer.
Yubash'shir is another way to say beshara as a verb but in the present tense. It refers to a sign or indication that the subject in question has a fruitful future ahead of them. For example, if a singer displays significant talent while auditioning for a show, a judge would say that their voice yubash'shir, that he or she has a bright future in the music industry.
The same can be used in reference to any piece of content that displays talent from a person whether writing, public speaking or acting.
Also as a verb used in a different context, beshara means the act of pulling back and getting rid of a fruit’s skin to reveal the ripe edible portion. It can also mean to exfoliate dead skin or remove dirt from one's face to reveal the good part.
In fact, the word for skin in Arabic is bashara, which comes from beshara, as skin continuously sheds and renews. Also, beshara can refer to the most attractive or beautiful features on a person’s face.
Something that is streaming live in Arabic translates to mubaashar, which comes from the word baashara, it means an unplanned occurrence or incident that is happening in the present. The modern phrase for live streaming on television is also connected to the idea of delivering news.
Beshara is also a name with the same positive connotations. They include Bashar and Basheer for men and Boushra and Basheera for women.
Emirati singer Hussain Al Jassmi released the single Boshret Kheir in 2014, another variant of the word beshara, meaning good omen.
Scroll through the gallery below to see The National's pick of Arabic words of the week
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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
