‘Mawsim’: The Arabic word for season is a universal concept

The term refers to time periods but also a gathering of people

NA

It’s anyone's guess where the common and universal expression “seasons come and go” originates.

However, there are many variations of it across languages and cultures due to its dual cynical but hopeful message. Its appeal is most likely connected to the concept of the passing of time, which all people organise their lives based on their interpretation of seasons.

This flexibility in the concept of the word "season" is seen in this week’s Arabic Word of the Week, mawsim.

The word in Arabic means season but can be used in a variety of ways.

Mawsim is a noun, derived from the three Arabic letters, waw, seen and meem. The plural of mawsim is mawaasim and the word has several meanings, all of them interconnected.

To start, mawsim very simply refers to a certain period of time during the year. Mawsim can also mean a large gathering of people in one place, for example, at an event, party or marketplace. Mawsim or mawsim al shayee, which translates to the season of the thing, also means the time or time period something appears.

With these definitions in mind, mawsim can mean the season as it pertains to the weather – spring, summer, winter or autumn. It can also mean a festive time, such as Ramadan or the holiday season. Mawsim al hajj, the season of Hajj, can refer to both the time period that Hajj occurs, as well as a large gathering of people. Mawsim can also be used to refer to a time of harvest for a specific fruit or vegetable.

The root of the word from which mawsim is derived is the verb wasama, which has an interesting meaning.

The first meaning of wasama is to physically mark something so that it is different, in a way, branding it – for example, hot branding an animal such as a horse. The other meaning is when an individual is singled out through praise or criticism.

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

While they may mean different things, mawsim and its root word both pertain to the idea of intentionally marking or pointing out something as being significant or different. In the case of mawsim, this is used in reference to a time period while wasama is used for people or objects.

One of the Arab world’s most influential and important novels is by the Sudanese writer Tayeb Salih, entitled Mawsim Hijra ila al Shemal, which translates to 'Season of Migration to the North'.

Considered a classic, the post-colonial Arabic novel details the conflicts of Sudan and the history of European imperialism. It follows the account of an unnamed narrator in the 1950s, who has returned to his Sudanese village on the Nile after completing his education in the UK with plans to improve the state of his homeland.

The novel refers to the idea of seasons not only as historical time periods or eras but also as states of mind and social and political concepts.