Despite the words of ancient Greek philosopher Plato, who said that “the greatest wealth is to live content with little”, the accumulation of monetary wealth, for better or worse, is a much-desired goal for many people.
Plato is one of many writers and great thinkers who have tried to redefine the concept of wealth for its often negative influence on individuals and broader society.
Interestingly, this week’s Arabic Word of the Week, tharwa, which translates to wealth, means more than just the accumulation of money.
Tharwa is a noun that officially translates to an abundance of money or people. It also has connections to concepts such as fortune, riches, prosperity, treasure, opulence and affluence.
Money is the main association with tharwa, especially when the word is used colloquially, but it can mean more than just the collection of wealth. Like many Arabic words, there are nuances to its meaning in different contexts.
Within the framework of economics, tharwa means a specific amount of money that can be collected, owned, and invested.
Thawra qawmiyya, which loosely translates to national wealth, refers to a varied number of a country’s assets and their quality. Tharwa adabiyya, or the wealth of arts, is an abundance of literature, arts and culture, in any society, while thawra tabe’eyya, which translates as the wealth of nature, refers to the richness of natural resources, from oil, minerals and precious stones.
The root word of tharwa is thara or tharee, which is derived from the three Arabic letters, tha, rah and alif. The verb refers to the action of the growth of money or any asset owned by an individual.
There are a few other words derived from thara that are connected to the idea of wealth or abundance.
As examples, tharaa refers to the ownership and accumulation of money, while ithraa has a similar meaning but can include physical assets as opposed to just money.
Another word derived from thara is thourayya, which colloquially means a chandelier.
However, initially thourayya was a reference to the constellation of Taurus. Containing 19 main stars, the large and prominent constellation is a recognisable feature of the night sky, visible to the naked eye.
The constellation was named thourayya in Arabic, due to its abundance of stars. The word was then repurposed to be used as a name for chandeliers, given their resemblance to the twinkling of stars in the night sky.
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
Tickets
Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
As You Were
Liam Gallagher
(Warner Bros)
The biog
Favourite book: Animal Farm by George Orwell
Favourite music: Classical
Hobbies: Reading and writing
Episode list:
Ep1: A recovery like no other- the unevenness of the economic recovery
Ep2: PCR and jobs - the future of work - new trends and challenges
Ep3: The recovery and global trade disruptions - globalisation post-pandemic
Ep4: Inflation- services and goods - debt risks
Ep5: Travel and tourism
