‘Ma’an’: the Arabic word for together has deeper meaning

The origin of the word has a surprising link to the idea of togetherness

Ma'an translates to together, with and other words such as simultaneously and jointly

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.

• 

  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

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.