Thursday, December 18, 2008

Lessons in Arabic

Inspired by Kinzi's recent Arabic post, I need to share some new Arabic words. Of course there are the plurals such as 'hotelaat', 'coursaat', and 'file-aat' which I find myself using. To "file" has been turned into a verb and also a masdar so it is common to hear "laazim afayyil ishi" or "tafyiil" meaning "I need to file something" or "filing". Another favorite is "kiif bitsayyivi haada?" or "how do you save this?"

A former Arabic student came up with the following uses of the words google and skype. Arabs describe the ten forms with f, 3, l or ف ، ع ، ل . Foreigners often use the method popularized by the Hans Wehr dictionary of Modern Standard Arabic. Each word in Arabic comes from a trilateral (three-letter) root. Verbs and nouns are then formed by manipulating these three letters. Each form is given a number. Hopefully you can understand a little bit of how the forms work by the following:

Root g, g, l غ ، غ ، ل

Form...... Meaning......... الوزن
I gugul To Google فعل غُغُل
II guggle To make someone Google فعّل غُغّل
III guugul To help someone Google فاعل غوغُل
IV 'aggul To use the search engine Google أفعل أغّل
V taguggul To make someone Google you تفعّل تغغّل
VI taguugul To learn to Google تفاعل تغوغل
VII 'ingugul To be Googled انفعل انغغل
VIII 'igtgul To Google yourself اتفعل اغتغل
IX 'iggull To become 'Googled' افعلّ اغلّ
X 'istagugul To consider the # 'googol' استفعل استغغل
( 10 to the 100th power)

Root sk, y, b سك ، ي ، ب

Form...... Meaning....... الوزن
I skayab To have skype فعل سْكيب
II skayyab To Skype too much/often فعّل سْكيّب
III skaayab To Skype someone فاعل سْكايب
IV 'askayab To install Skype أفعل اسْكَيب
V taskayyab To date via Skype تفعّل تسْكيّب
VI taskaayab To have a Skype conference call تفاعل تسْكايب
VII 'inskayab To be Skyped انفعل انسْكَيب
VIII 'isktayab To sign-on to Skype اتفعل اسكتيب
IX 'iskabb To move in a jerky fashion and speak louder than necessary افعلّ اسْكَبّ
X 'istaskayab To ask why your friends have not skyped you recently استفعل استسْكَيب

Enjoy your Arabic lesson. Now, 'laazim ashayyik ilfacebook. thank you iktiir'. Um Tulip

5 comments:

said...

Hmmm... The Arabic versions of Google and Skype. Proof positive that these businesses are trying to take over the world and turn us all into mindless consumer drones where individualism is dead and there is nowhere to hide? You decide.

Anonymous said...

Masha'allah!!!! I am SO impressed!! Can I cut and paste the 'google' part into a post, then send them your way to see 'Skype'? Can't have that effort unobserved by my three readers!

abu 'n um tulip said...

Mr. Jeff - glad you are doing your part to keep individualism alive.

Kinzi - absolutely! Thanks.

Jessica Haley said...

This isn't about this particular post, though I did find "Hubby's" cynicism towards Christmas interesting. So, when is tulip #3 due to arrive?

abu 'n um tulip said...

Jess: it's not really cynicism of Christmas per say, but the commercialism and skirting around the 'reason for the season'. But this Christmas was certainly wonderful! Baby Bulb is due February 14th. I guess that's a goofy holiday, but I won't complain about the chocolate that comes with it.