Dubai Forums Dubai Discussions Dubai General Chat

I love the sound of the Arabic language. I could listen to it all day long although I only understand about 4 words. Yalla, walla, shuckran and insha'allah. And then I don't pick them up if they are in a sentence.
I have a friend who has lived in the UAE nearly all of his life so speaks the Arabic of the Gulf like a local. He introduced me to his friend who was born in the UAE but who's parents are Syrian. My friend is Algerian, he can understand the Syrian Arabic but the Syrian can't understand the Algerian Arabic as its a mixture of French bits so they talk in local Arabic or English.

I found it fascinating.

My Algerian friend was explaining to his friend in Arabic that I live on a farm.
I knew that because he was jabbering on and then he said Ei Ei O.

I know more Arabic than I realised!

You are very "Arabized"
People in the Muslim world love Arabic, because they think there is something "Holy" about it, being the language of the Muslim Prophet, Mohammed.

There are many non-Arab speaking Muslims in the world, extending from Pakistan, India, Malaysia, Indonesia etc. Speak Arabic with them, and they will prostrate themselves to you in worship. Even though you might be abusing them, they would still think you were quoting some holy verses from the Quran !

Unfortunately, I am not one of those that likes the Arabic language. Its too guttural for me
Although I have learnt to say a few sentences in it.
BTW, a farm is "Mazra-ah" or something like that, not ei ei O
Are you sure they were not planning.....a party, or something?

You are not very well versed on English poetry FF, as you would have us believe, unlike my friend.

Old MacDonald had a farm
Ei Ei O
And on that farm he had a......


And so on

FF2 wrote:Prophet, Mohammed.

yes im sure she is very ARABIZED.

she probably has love for shwarma too.

arabic to me sounds harsh and irritating , like klingon or like someone trying to cough up phlem or something ,

the handwriting is bacwards and complicated. so many little variation for almost the same word. makes chinese look easy.

what the point of learning arabic anyways? there are 3 major languages in the world that should be learned as it represents almost all the people on this planet and also helps for business especially the first too.

1. english

2. chinese

3. hindi

arabic is just a hobby language to me , rather learn klingon instead .

Ahlan wasahlan

I love the Arabic writing and especially the calligraphy. Unfortunately calligraphy is mostly done with Islamic religious texts, and I donot need those at home at the wall. Arabic isnot especially nice to my ear I think.
In the beginning I started to say some basic things in Arabic. I was brought up to try to speak the language where you are, as part of a sign of respect. I never got the idea it was appreciated in Dubai, as they seem to get annoyed by my accent or little mistakes or whatever, so I stopped with Arabic.

Marhabba!

Well I consider Persian to be a richer language amongst the Middle Eastern Languages. I know a bit of it, and I love the poetry and the depth in its philosophy. Of course, the script or the way it is written is Arabic.

Here is a couplet from Shirazi (destroyed by my own translation ):

"To drink lots and lots of wine, and yet stay in total control of your senses, is easy!
You are a man if you take a drink from the cup of Power (or authority), and dont get drunk like a madman!!"

Or Omar Khayyam's, this time translated by Edward Fitzgerald (18th century)

"'Tis all a chequer-board of nights and days,
Where destiny with men for pieces plays;
And hither and thither, and checks and mates, and slays;
And one by one, back into the closet lays"

--- Feb 20, 2013 ---

BMreformed wrote:You are not very well versed on English poetry FF, as you would have us believe, unlike my friend.

You got me there! Well, you should have sung it!! "Old Macdonald had a farm eiei--o........."
It was all your fault