This week’s Arabic word of the week has a long history as a rich source of allegories, symbols and associations around the world.
Whether seen as opportunity for rest, merriment or danger, the night has always been a time that both entices and scares people.
Layl is the Arabic word for night. It’s a noun that refers to the period of time that follows the day, lasting from when the sun sets until it rises again at dawn.
It is derived from three Arabic letters, lam, yah and lam again. There are many variations of the word layl to refer to the night in both its singular and plural form.
Al layl means a night or the night. Al layalee is the plural version but can also refer to many nights as an abstract concept, meaning a very long period of time or a specific era of time. Layla can also mean one single night while layaalee and layaalin are also variations of the plural form of the word.
There are many phrases in classic Arabic that refer to the night.
Interestingly they paint the night in with negative and positive connotations. For example, “the son of the night” is a thief, while “the son of many nights” is the moon. “Daughters of the night” refer to worry and paranoia, while “the breast of the night” is used to reference the beginning of the night.
Laylee refers to something that is happening at night or every single night. For example, a night shift or night classes. Al laa'el is an adjective derived from the word layl, meaning the darkest of the dark.
In Islam, two of the five daily prayers are called salat al layl, which translate to the prayers of the night. They include the fourth and fifth prayers of the day, one at sunset and the other at night.
Surat Al Layl is the 92nd chapter in the Quran. It is one of the first 10 surats to be revealed in Makkah and delves into the importance of charity. It starts with a series of oaths, beginning with the night as an important sign and one of contrasting difference to the day.
Also in Islam, Laylat al Qadr, which translates to the night of destiny or the night of power, is the night when the Quran was first sent down to the world. It is the night when the first verses were revealed to the Prophet Mohammed.
The exact date of this night is not known except that it is one of the odd-numbered nights of the last 10 days of Ramadan.
The many variations of the word layl have also become names, mostly for women.
Layla as a name means the first night of an event. For example, an opening for a play or a performance. If spelt slightly differently in Arabic, it can also refer to the early stages of alcoholic intoxication, and the phrase Umm Layla (translated to Mother of Leila) is a reference to wine.
There are many well known and classic songs, shows and films that use the word and the theme of layl.
There is the renowned Lebanese singer Wadi Al-Safi’s classic song Al Laylu Ya Layla, (The Night, Oh Leila) and Lebanese pop singer Nawal Zoghbi’s early hit, the single Al Layaaly (The Nights).
One of the Arab world's most well-known works of fiction is Alfu Layla wa Layla (A Thousand and One Nights) also known as the Arabian Nights. The collection of fables and folk stories are structured under one narrative.
The tyrannical King Shahrayar murders all of his brides after their first night together as husband and wife. His newest bride, the intelligent Shahrazad tells him a story every night, only to stop at an integral part of the plot as the dawn breaks – thus extending her life for one more night. Shahrazad continues to tell the king stories for 1,001 nights, using the darkness the night provides as a way to bring her stories to life, while teaching him lessons and healing his warped mind.
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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
