Scan & Correct

Diagnosis: Grammar, Meaning

Arabic text in question

Arabic text as it should be

Note: You don’t use diacritics (تشكيل) in everyday Arabic. We use them here to clearly explain the grammar, spelling and meaning of words. To avoid confusion, we generally ignore auxiliary vowels that are necessary for pronunciation to avoid consonant clusters.

Analysis

Direct translations often lead to awkward phrasing in Arabic. The phrase المسح والذهاب (al-Masḥ wa al-Dhahāb), literally meaning The Scanning/Wiping and The Going, is a prime example of this.

It feels unnatural for much the same reason that using ترحيب (tarḥīb) as a greeting is incorrect. Why? Because ترحيب is a verbal noun (مَصْدَرٌ) meaning the act of welcoming. Similarly, المسح والذهاب uses verbal nouns to describe actions, rather than employing the dynamic and natural language typically used for instructions or naming such a process.

The power of the imperative (فِعْلُ الْأَمْرِ)

For a process like Scan and Go, which involves user action, the imperative verb form is far more suitable and idiomatic in Arabic. The imperative provides a direct instruction to the user, making it clearer and more natural.

The core meaning of the I-verb مَسَحَ – يَمْسَحُ is to wipe; to clear/clean. But there are many more meanings, such as to survey; to anoint (in Christianity) – and also: to scan (electronically).

To form the imperative of مَسَحَ – يَمْسَحُ, we take the present tense stem for “you (masculine singular)” which is مْسَحْ (msaḥ) from تَمْسَحُ. Since it begins with a consonant cluster that requires a helping vowel, we add a هَمْزَةُ الوَصْلِ (Hamzat al-Wasl, a connecting Hamza) with a كَسْرَة (kasra, i-sound), resulting in اِمسَحْ (imsaḥ – Scan! or Wipe!).

This command form اِمسَحْ (scan!) is concise and clear, unlike the descriptive noun الْمَسْحُ (the scanning).

Choosing the right “Go”: Why اِنطَلِقْ (inṭaliq) works better

Furthermore, while الذهاب is the verbal noun of ذَهَبَ – يَذْهَبُ, the verb itself might not be the most dynamic choice for the second part of the instruction. The imperative اِذهَبْ (Go!) is quite generic and neutral.

A potentially better fit for the context of quickly moving on after scanning is the VII-verb اِنْطَلَقَ – يَنْطَلِقُ which means to start; get going; take off; ~go.

Its imperative form, اِنطَلِقْ (Set off!/Go!), is derived from the present tense تَنْطَلِقُ. This form carries a sense of proceeding efficiently to the next step rather than simply leaving. Therefore, a phrase like اِمسَحْ وَانطَلِقْ (imsaḥ wanṭaliq – Scan and Go/Set off!) feels much more natural, action-oriented, and contextually appropriate than the awkward noun-based construction المسح والذهاب.

Source: Real Place
Time the picture was taken: unknown

Location: Poland
Zakopane, Poland
Latitude: 49.299181
Longitude: 19.9495621

Credit
Picture credit: Paul Ammann
Added: 04/05/2025 by Paul Ammann

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