Universally, together is a word and concept that expresses unity, interconnectedness and shared experiences between people. From love to friendship, the idea of being together is profound and powerful.
In the Arabic language, the idea of togetherness also has sentimental value, perfectly illustrated in the words of Lebanese poet, philosopher and artist Khalil Gibran who said, “Love is living together and dying together.”
This week's Arabic word of the week is ma’an. While it can be translated as together in English, it encompasses a broader spectrum of meanings related to interconnectedness and unity.
Ma’an comes from the word ma’aa, which is made up of the two Arabic letters, meem and alif.
Ma’aa is a verb which means to melt or thaw out. It may seem strange that a word which means melting, in a sense something separating from itself, is the root for a word which means together. But there's more to the story.
Aside from to melt, ma'aa is also a word used as a way to combine different ideas in a sentence. Depending on the third letter added to ma’aa and the context of the sentence, the word becomes a combination of a preposition and a subordinating conjunction, which is then used to detail or explain either time or place.
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The Arabic word helu translates, in English, to sweet -

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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 -

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The Arabic word rooh translates to spirit or soul in English -

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This is where ma’an comes into play. By adding the Arabic letter noon to ma'aa, ma'an then means together and a number of other words.
In English, together and with are two separate words. However, due to Arabic’s unique linguistic make-up, ma’an can mean together, with and other words such as simultaneously, jointly, with each other, or with one another and more.
While in theory it's interesting that the same word can mean both melt and together, in Arabic those two concepts are not so black and white.
When something melts it comes together in a different way, a more malleable process, which is how the idea of being together in the context of relationships can be seen.
Another way to say together in Arabic is with the word saweyyan in classical Arabic or sawa in colloquial dialect.
However, saweyyan leans more towards expressing ideas of working with someone towards a goal or as a way to describe people being equal to one another.
Both words can be used interchangeably but ma’an is perhaps more thought of as a classical fous'ha word and sawa with its dialect variations is used more colloquially.
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Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
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How to improve Arabic reading in early years
One 45-minute class per week in Standard Arabic is not sufficient
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Grade 1 curricula should include oral instruction in Standard Arabic
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Time should be slotted in class to read longer passages in early grades
Improve the appearance of textbooks
Revision of curriculum should be undertaken as per research findings
Conjugations of most common verb forms should be taught
Systematic learning of Standard Arabic grammar
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Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
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Uefa Champions League, last-16. first leg
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Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
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Rating: 2/5
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Pox that threatens the Middle East's native species
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Falconpox can cause a variety of types of lesions, which can affect, for example, the eyelids, feet and the areas above and below the beak. It is a problem among captive falcons and is one of many types of avian pox or avipox diseases that together affect dozens of bird species across the world. Among the other forms are pigeonpox, turkeypox, starlingpox and canarypox. Avipox viruses are spread by mosquitoes and direct bird-to-bird contact.
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2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
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2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
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WWE TLC results
Asuka won the SmackDown Women's title in a TLC triple threat with Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair
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Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
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Age: 34
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Favourite sport: anything extreme
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Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
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- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
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Results
Stage 7:
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2. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - same time
3. Phil Bauhaus (GER) Bahrain Victorious
4. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep
5. Cees Bol (NED) Team DSM
General Classification:
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 24:00:28
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3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:02
4. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:42
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The%20specs
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Al Mrzab Restaurant
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Al Derwaza
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SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20S24%20ULTRA
If you go...
Flying
There is no simple way to get to Punta Arenas from the UAE, with flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi requiring at least two connections to reach this part of Patagonia. Flights start from about Dh6,250.
Touring
Chile Nativo offers the amended Los Dientes trek with expert guides and porters who are met in Puerto Williams on Isla Navarino. The trip starts and ends in Punta Arenas and lasts for six days in total. Prices start from Dh8,795.
Europe's top EV producers
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- Netherlands (20%)
- Sweden (19%)
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- Germany (14%)
- Denmark (13%)
- Switzerland (13%)
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Source: VCOe
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Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
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Available: Now
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Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
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Price: Dh4,229
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Price: Dh4,649
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Power: 258hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
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- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
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- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
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