There is an old, unattributed Arabic proverb that says: “Your tongue is your horse, if you protect it, it will protect you.”
All variations of this proverb highlight the importance of what you say and how you say it, referencing the tongue as a tool in which one communicates what’s on their mind or in their heart to the world.
This week’s Arabic word of the week, lisan, which translates to tongue, may be a small hidden part of the human anatomy but one that wields great power in its meaning and cultural relevance.
Lisan is both the classical Arabic word and the colloquial word used across all dialects to mean tongue. It comes from the verb lasin, which means to speak and originates from the three Arabic letters: lam, seen, noon.
In Arabic lisan, can be feminine or masculine but is often referred to as masculine when not associated with a particular person. There are several plural variations of lisan such as alsina, alson, lousoon and lisanaat. Each is used depending on the context of the subject matter and the syntax of the sentence.
The official and perhaps most commonly understood meaning of lisan is, a piece of flesh that sits in the mouth which contains muscles and nerves and is used as a tool to pronounce and speak words and sounds and also to taste, eat and swallow food.
Another meaning for lisan used across dialects is language. Lisan al Arabi, for example, is another way to say the Arabic language.
A subset of meaning for lisan when it comes to language is that it can also refer to the specific linguistic culture, which includes slang and expressions, specific to a particular country or culture.
In geography, lisan refers to a piece of land that emerges out of the mainland and into a body of water. This is the case with several countries in the Gulf such as Qatar or the tip of the UAE.
Lisan can also mean a message that has been sent. This can refer to an oral message sent with a messenger or a letter.
Given the importance of the tongue as a tangible part of the anatomy, unlike the voice for example, it has taken precedence within Arab culture to inform many expressions and concepts connected to truth and ambassadorship.
There is lisan al qoum, which translates to the tongue of the people. This term is used to reference someone who acts as an ambassador to a nation or community to communicate their needs or stance to another party or person in power.
Lisan al hal, which translates to the tongue of the state (of matters) is a phrase used to describe the present state or the truth of a situation. For example, the state of the economy, the condition of a building or a group of people living in a certain area can all be concluded under their lisan al hal.
When a person is very complimentary of a situation or of another person and positively mentions them, they are referred to as a person with lisan al soudou, which translates to truthful tongue. Lisan thaliq also means someone who can speak clearly and concisely in classical Arabic with grammatical finesse about any topic with richness and depth.
In Dune the sci-fi novel by Frank Herbert and the now blockbuster film starring Timothee Chalamet, Lisan al Gaib is a term used by the Fremen indigenous people of the planet. The Arabic words translate to "tongue of the unseen/missing" and in the story references an off-world prophet or messiah. Herbert was heavily influenced by Arabic and Islamic culture, lore and language.
Lisan al nar, which translates to tongue of fire, references the flicking flames of a fire. This is most likely due to the similarities between the way in which a fire's flame moves and the movement of a tongue when someone is speaking in quick succession.
There are many plants and herbs in the Arabic language which have the name lisan. These include lisan al thor, a plant from Iraq, which translates to tongue of the bull; and lisan al hamal, which translates to tongue of the lamb, known in English as the greater plantain or broadleaf plantain.
Lisan is referenced in the Quran several times. Most notably in Surat al shuar’aa, the 42nd chapter of the Quran, in aya (passage) 84, there is a description of when the prophet Ibrahim tells his tribe and people not to worship idols before praying to god.
“And give unto me a good report in later generations. And make for me a tongue of sincerity (Truthfulness) in the later (generations).”
The tongue here is used as a tool or vehicle from which stories and truth are described and passed down over time.
