كلمة الشهر

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الأم

Welcome to a special edition of our Arabic Word of the Month! Last month we took a look at the Arabic phrase describing selflessness and putting others before one’s self, نكران الذات. For the month of May we will be sharing the Arabic word for mother, in honor of Mother’s Day. Mothers play a significant role in Arab culture (as they do in most cultures), so it is important to take the time to appreciate and acknowledge their role.

The Arabic word for mother, الأم, is simply transliterated as ‘al-um’. For those wishing to say ‘my mother’, the Arabic equivalent is ‘ummi’ (أمي). The pronunciation of the ‘u’ in both words should be the same as the ‘oo’ in the pronunciation of the word ‘book’.

Family and the foundation it creates is one of the most important elements of Arab culture. Arguably the most crucial member of the Arab family is the mother, as she is expected to raise and care to the entire household; the father is mostly tasked with financial well-being and ensuring the success of the family. It is the mother the children interact with most often, and their future success as the next generation relies mainly on the mother’s parenting and the lessons that are taught to the children.

A popular Arabic saying emphasizes the importance of the mother in a person’s life: الجنة تحت اقدام الامهات”. The saying translates to “paradise lies under the feet of mothers.” The phrase stresses the importance of respect and reinforces the idea that a mother’s moral values, wisdom and guidance are crucial to living a prosperous life.

That concludes our word of the month! We hope you enjoyed our cultural lesson. We would especially like to wish a Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers! For more entries in our Arabic Word of the Month blog series, click here.

Yowm al-um sa’eid!

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