Browse Tag
Basra
20 posts
Basra (البصرة) is a port city in southern Iraq, known for its historical significance, economic importance and location along the Shatt al-Arab (شط العرب) waterway. It is Iraq’s main port and a major industrial center.
The Mechanics of the Arabic Intensive Form: Cracking صِيغَةُ المُبَالَغَةِ
How do you turn someone who simply lies into a relentless, habitual liar (كَذَّاب)? You trigger the Arabic intensive form. The rules of صِيغَةُ المُبَالَغَةِ baffle many students, but beneath the apparent chaos lies a brilliant, centuries-old system.
Reading the Unreadable: AI & Early Arab-American Stories
Arabic handwriting is notoriously hard to read. Now, a project called Fihris is using custom-trained AI to decipher the complex Ruq'ah script. We interviewed the team at the Khayrallah Center (USA) about how this tech is unlocking the history of early Arab immigrants to the Americas.
The ‘Hunted Infinitive’: The المَصْدَرُ الْمُتَصَيَّدُ and the Hidden Logic in Arabic Sentences
Why is the Qur'anic verse لَا تَنَازَعُوا فَتَفْشَلُوا both eloquent and a grammatical puzzle? The answer is the 'hunted infinitive' (المصدر المتصيد), a brilliant principle that finds hidden logic where none is written. This article breaks down how the concept resolves a classic paradox in Arabic.
Al-Suli: The Chess Master in the Islamic Golden Age
Al-Suli, a key chess master from the 10th century, played an important role in developing modern chess and is seen as one of its first champions. Who was Al-Suli, and how are chess terms expressed in Arabic?
Master Classical Arabic Through the Jahiz Institute
Brian Powell, founder of the Jahiz Institute, shares his journey in Arabic studies and talks about his innovative approach to teaching classical Arabic.
Why Is كَأَنَّ a Sister of إِنَّ but لِأَنَّ Is Not?
This article delves into a fascinating Arabic grammar question: Why do classical grammarians list كَأَنَّ as a sister of إِنَّ, but not بِأَنَّ or لِأَنَّ? We explore the nature of the particle كَ, analyze common use cases, and examine examples from the Qur'an and classical poetry to find answers and invite further discussion.
The Qur’an Revisited: Salsabil (سَلْسَبِيل) in Sura 76:17-18
The Qur'an is full of fascinating words, and "Salsabil" (سَلْسَبِيل) is one of them. Appearing only once in Sura 76:18, this article explores its mysterious origins, diverse interpretations, and the intriguing grammatical debate surrounding its form, including its connection to diptotes and rhyme in the Holy Book.
The Number 8 in Arabic: Grammar and Spelling
The number 8 in Arabic is tricky! This article breaks down its special grammatical rules, including why the masculine form is unique, how to correctly use 18, and why 800 often sounds the same. Master this challenging area of Arabic numbers.
Who Was Sibawayhi? Meet the Persian Scholar Who Defined Arabic Grammar
"Al-Kitaab" is more than a textbook; it's Sibawayhi's monumental Arabic grammar. This article explores the life of the brilliant Persian grammarian and his enduring contribution to Arabic linguistic science.
MADAR Corpus: A Resource For Learning Arabic Dialects From 25 Cities
MADAR is a valuable resource for Arabic dialect learners, featuring parallel sentences across 25 Arab cities and MSA. This guide shows how to use its lexicon and corpus viewer to understand dialectal differences.
