Arabic-:L:LING:Arabic Names Responses

[Dilworth Parkinson]

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Arabic-L: Mon 19 May 2003
Moderator: Dilworth Parkinson <dilworth_parkinson at byu.edu>
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-------------------------Directory-------------------------------------

1) Subject:Arabic Names Response
2) Subject:Arabic Names Response

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1)
Date: 19 May 2003
From: <Sattar.Izwaini at student.umist.ac.uk>
Subject:Arabic Naming Traditions Response

In the Arabic culture, naming and addressing someone with the
name of his eldest son or daughter as abu x (father of) or uma x
(mother of) and not by his/her first name is a form of respect.
One does not change his/her name upon the birth of his/her first
son or daughter. It is an addressing form within the family and
close friends even for those who might have no children. It is the
least formal among other forms.

Some of these 'names' are fixed for certain names, e.g. Hasan is
abu Ali (in Egypt) and abu falAH in Iraq, Ali is abu hussain in Iraq.
Yasir is abu 'amAr. Most of these are after the names of historical
figures. Some people do name their children according to this
pattern. So you can find a lot of people called Ali Hussain and
Hussain Ali as the surnames are usually (but not always) the
father's first name.

Another usage is figurative; to refer to a person or a thing as the
source of, the place of, the most abundant or greatest, e.g. abu al-
mashAkil (the source of trouble), um al-qurA (the best of towns or
the town of towns), um al-m'Arik (the battle of battles) etc.

Some people use this form as a nickname for other people or for
themselves, or because they do not want to reveal their real
names. Some of these forms have some implication like Abu jihAd
and abu nidhal (for freedom-fighting). Many Arabic names, if not the
majority, have a meaning. But they are names and need not to (or
should not) be translated.

Sattar Izwaini

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1)
Date: 19 May 2003
From: GnhBos at aol.com
Subject:Arabic Naming Traditions Response

Arab traditions are loaded with niceties, pride, honor, hospitality,
generosity, and attachment to family and children (sorry CNN/
FOX/Media, this may not be politically correct, as far as the likes
are concerned).

Wishing for the first born to be a male, does not supersede God's
Will, and is a misunderstood phenomenon, which plays well for the
anti-Arab hysteria, concerning treatment of women. An Arab family,
by having a male first born, will guarantee continuity and family pride,
not a male Vs. female issue. Thus, the "Abu", "father of first born"
tradition; Abu Leila (a female name) is not unheard of, either.

I am not sure if Yasser Arafat's father was named Ammar! Abu Ammar,
also, being a civil engineer, prior to being a Palestinian leader;  
maybe,
he was called upon as the one who builds, remember the Lebanese
folklore song "3ammir Ya M'3aLLim Le'3mar" by Wadih Al Safi!

Concerning the "Abu(s)", above, each of the leaders, even the fighters  
of
Harakat ATtahhreer AL-FiLasteeniya (Arabic acronym: Fat'h, reversed),
were given or known by the "movement name" or "issm eL Harakee"
"Abu  X/FuLan". I think that was adopted due to security reasons,
since "AL Moqawama" or the Palestinian Resistance, against the
Israeli occupation, was underground.

Culturally, the tradition is to name your first born by the name of
your father, particularly, if you were father's first born. So,  
regularly,
in the manner of pride, love and respect, the father's friends, family
and cousins call the first born "Abu [the father's name]". Note also
the father, who was being called Abu (his father's name and so on),
since he was a kid himself, and while his wife is pregnant, not even
knowing the sex of the child! In the end, God's Will "Mashee'at Allah"
is to be accepted and obeyed. Gosh, that was confusing: Call me for
an explanation!

Please, note that the same goes for the woman mother, she is
also called emm/imm/umm/omm [dialect] or "mother of...".

Best Regards,

George N. Hallak  (Abu Andrawes/Andrew)
AramediA Group (Arabic Software)
761 Adams Street    
Boston, MA 02122, USA  


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End of Arabic-L:  19 May 2003