Arabic Genealogical Word List: Difference between revisions

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This list contains Arabic words with their English transliterations and translations. The words included here are those likely to be found in genealogical sources. For any words not contained in the list, please see "Additional Arabic Language Resources" below for suggestions on dictionaries and websites.  
This list contains Arabic words with their English transliterations and translations. The words included here are those likely to be found in genealogical sources. For any words not contained in the list, please see "Additional Arabic Language Resources" below for suggestions on dictionaries and websites.  


Arabic is a Semitic language, placing it in the same family as Hebrew and Aramaic. It is spoken by more than 200 million people in the Middle East and North Africa and is commonly learned as a second language, particularly by non-Arab Muslims due to its central role in Islam as the language of the Qur'an and prayer.  
Arabic is a Semitic language, placing it in the same family as Hebrew and Aramaic. It is spoken as a first language by almost 300 million people in the Middle East and North Africa<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Arabic Language," in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'', https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_language, accessed 25 Sep 2024.</ref>  and is commonly learned as a second language, particularly by non-Arab Muslims due to its central role in Islam as the language of the Qur'an and prayer.  


The term "Arabic language" is generally used to refer to both Modern Standard Arabic, the standardized, formal Arabic used in the media and other official channels, including for record keeping, and the diverse array of Arabic dialects spoken as a first language in Arab homes and in daily life. Arabic dialects are rarely written down, especially in official documents.  
The term "Arabic language" generally refers to both Modern Standard Arabic, the standardized, formal Arabic used for official purposes, including record keeping; and the diverse array of Arabic dialects spoken as a first language at home and in daily life. Arabic dialects are rarely written down, especially in official documents, so this page focuses on Modern Standard Arabic. However, dialects are commonly used in oral histories, so resources for spoken Arabic are included as well.  


== Language Characteristics ==
== Language Characteristics ==

Revision as of 10:00, 25 September 2024

Arabic Genealogical
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Introduction[edit | edit source]

This list contains Arabic words with their English transliterations and translations. The words included here are those likely to be found in genealogical sources. For any words not contained in the list, please see "Additional Arabic Language Resources" below for suggestions on dictionaries and websites.

Arabic is a Semitic language, placing it in the same family as Hebrew and Aramaic. It is spoken as a first language by almost 300 million people in the Middle East and North Africa[1] and is commonly learned as a second language, particularly by non-Arab Muslims due to its central role in Islam as the language of the Qur'an and prayer.

The term "Arabic language" generally refers to both Modern Standard Arabic, the standardized, formal Arabic used for official purposes, including record keeping; and the diverse array of Arabic dialects spoken as a first language at home and in daily life. Arabic dialects are rarely written down, especially in official documents, so this page focuses on Modern Standard Arabic. However, dialects are commonly used in oral histories, so resources for spoken Arabic are included as well.

Language Characteristics[edit | edit source]

Arabic Alphabet[edit | edit source]

Arabic is written using the Arabic alphabet (Ar: أَبْجَدِيّة) which consists of 28 letters and is written from right to left.[2] The Arabic alphabet is considered an abjad, meaning that typically only consonants and long vowels are written, while short vowels are either excluded and inferred by the reader or written as diacritics above or under consonants. The Arabic script is also cursive; most letters connect to the subsequent letter in a word, meaning that most letters vary in form depending on where they fall in a word.

Arabic Consonants and Long Vowels
Independent Form Initial Form (beginning of a word) Medial Form (middle of a word) Final Form (end of a word) Common English Transliterations
ا ا ـا ـا a, ā
ب بـ ـبـ ـب b
ت تـ ـتـ ـت t
ث ثـ ـثـ ـث th
ج جـ ـجـ ـج j, dj, g
ح حـ ـحـ ـح h, ḥ
خ خـ ـخـ ـخ kh, x, ḵ
د د ـد ـد d
ذ ذ ـذ ـذ th, dh
ر ر ـر ـر r
ز ز ـز ـز z
س سـ ـسـ ـس s
ش شـ ـشـ ـش sh, š
ص صـ ـصـ ـص s, ṣ
ض ضـ ـضـ ـض d, ḍ
ط طـ ـطـ ـط t, ṭ
ظ ظـ ـظـ ـظ th, ẓ, z
ع عـ ـعـ ـع ', ʿ, 3
غ غـ ـغـ ـغ gh, ḡ
ف فـ ـفـ ـف f
ق قـ ـقـ ـق q
ك كـ ـكـ ـك k
ل لـ ـلـ ـل l
م مـ ـمـ ـم m
ن نـ ـنـ ـن n
ه هـ‎ ـهـ‎‎ ـه‎ h
و و ـو ـو w
ي يـ ـيـ ـي y

Additional Arabic Language Resources[edit | edit source]

Arabic Paleography[edit | edit source]

Dictionaries[edit | edit source]

Language Helps[edit | edit source]

General Word List[edit | edit source]

English Arabic Transliteration
birth وِلادة, ميلاد wilādah, mīlād
death مَوْت , وَفاة mawt, wafāh
marriage زَواج , قِران , زِفاف zawāj, qirān, zifāf
burial دَفْن dafn
month شَهْر šahr
day يَوْم yawm
year سِنة sinah
family name اِسْم العائِلة ism al-ʿāʾilah
first name الاِسْم الأَوَّل al-ism al-awwal
village قَرِية qariyah
town بَلْدة baldah
city مَدينة madīnah
country بَلَد , دَوْلة balad, dawlah
1 - one واحِد wāḥid
2 - two اِثْنان، اِثْنَيْن ithnān, ithnayn
3 - three ثَلاثة thalāthah
4 - four أَرْبَعة ʾarbaʿah
5 - five خَمْسة khamsah
6 - six سِتّة sittah
7 - seven سَبْعة sabʿah
8 - eight ثَمانية thamāniyah
9 - nine تِسْعة tisʿah
10 - ten عَشَرة ʿašarah
11 - eleven أَحَد عَشَر ʾaḥad ʿašar
12 - twelve اِثْنا/اِثْنَي عَشَر ithna/ithnay ʿašar
13 - thirteen ثَلاثة عَشَر thalāthat ʿašar
14 - fourteen أَرْبَعة عَشَر ʾarbaʿat ʿašar
15 - fifteen خَمْسَة عَشَر khamsat ʿašar
16 - sixteen سِتّة عَشَر sittat ʿašar
17 - seventeen سَبْعة عَشَر sabʿat ʿašar
18 - eighteen ثَمانية عَشَر thamāniyat ʿašar
19 - nineteen تِسْعة عَشَر tisʿat ʿašar
20 - twenty عِشْرون ʿišrūn
30 - thirty ثَلاثون thalāthūn
40 - forty أَرْبَعون ʾarbaʿūn
50 - fifty خَمْسون khamsūn
60 - sixty سِتّون sittūn
70 - seventy سَبْعون sabʿūn
80 - eighty ثَمانون thamānūn
90 - ninety تِسْعون tisʿūn
100 - one hundred مِئة / مائة miʾah

Family Relationships[edit | edit source]

English Arabic Transliteration
father أَب ʾab
mother أُمّ ʾumm
son اِبْن، وَلَد ibn, walad
daughter اِبْنة، بِنْت ibnah, bint
brother أَخ , شَقيق ʾakh, šaqīq
sister أُخْت، شَقيقة ʾukht, šaqīqah
wife زَوْجة zawjah
husband زَوْج zawj
grandfather جَدّ jadd
grandmother جَدّة jaddah
grandson حَفيد ḥafīd
granddaughter حَفيدة ḥafīdah
paternal uncle عَمّ ʿamm
maternal uncle خال khāl
paternal aunt عَمّة ʿammah
maternal aunt خالة khālah
paternal male cousin اِبْن العَمّ ibn al-ʿamm
maternal male cousin اِبْن الخال ibn al-khāl
paternal female cousin بِنْت العَمّ bint al-ʿamm
maternal female cousin بِنْت الخال bint al-khāl
nephew (brother's son) اِبْن الأَخ ibn al-ʾakh
nephew (sister's son) اِبْن الأُخْت ibn al-ʾukht
niece (brother’s daughter) اِبْنة/بِنْت الأَخ ibnat/bint al-ʾakh
niece (sister’s daughter) اِبْنة/بِنْت الأُخْت ibnat/bint al-ʾukht

Dates/Time[edit | edit source]

Aramaic months used in the Levant[edit | edit source]

English Arabic Pronunciation
January كانون الثاني Kānūn al-Thānī
February شُباط Šubāṭ
March آذار ‘Ādār
April نيسان Nīsān
May أَيّار ‘Ayyār
June حَزيران Ḥazīrān
July تَمّوز Tammūz
August آب ‘Āb
September أَيْلول Aylūl
October تِشْرين الأَوَّل Tišrīn al-Awwal
November تِشْرين الثاني Tišrīn al-Thānī
December كانون الأَوَّل Kānūn al-Awwal


Gregorian calendar months[edit | edit source]

English Arabic Pronunciatioin
January يَنايِر yanāyir
February فِبْرايِر fibrāyir
March مارِس māris
April أَبْريل/إِبْريل abrīl/ibrīl
May مايو māyū
June يونيو/يونيه yūnyū/yūnya
July يوليو/يوليه yūlyū/yūlia
August أَغُسْطُس aġustus
September سِبْتَمْبِر sibtambir
October أُكْتوبَر uktūbar
November نوفَمْبِر nūfambir
December ديسَمْبِر dīsambir


Days of the Week[edit | edit source]

English Arabic Pronunciation
Saturday السَبْت Al-sabt
Sunday الأَحَد Al-ʾaḥad
Monday الاِثْنَيْن Al-ithnayn
Tuesday الثُلاثاء Al-thulāthāʾ
Wednesday الأَرْبَعاء Al-ʾarbaʿāʾ
Thursday الخَميس Al-khamīs
Friday الجُمْعَة Al-jumʿah

References[edit | edit source]

  1. Wikipedia contributors, "Arabic Language," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_language, accessed 25 Sep 2024.
  2. Wikipedia contributors, "Arabic Alphabet," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_alphabet, accessed 29 Aug 2024.