'Binaya': The Arabic word for building can also refer to developing relationships

The architectural landscape of the UAE is a captivating vision in which traditional Islamic design and cutting-edge innovations merge. From the many mosques to Burj Khalifa and Louvre Abu Dhabi, there is plenty of proof that buildings are more than feats of engineering, standing as symbols of a country and culture.

The meaning of our latest Arabic word of the week, binaya, centres on the concept of structures and foundations, whether physical or conceptual.

Binaya is a noun that means "building" and specifically any structure or home that is big and has many levels. Mabna is another word derived from the same source as binaya, which has the same meaning and can be used interchangeably. While there are specific words for different types of building, such as imara for tower or skyscraper, binaya refers to any type of structure. Binaya can also refer to a construction worker who builds these structures.

There is also the word beenaa, which can refer to any physical structure but has meaning beyond that. It can mean any kind of conceptual idea that gathers people or notions in some form or structure. This could be anything from a union in a company to the structure of a novel.

Arabic word of the week 2024 - in pictures

The root word for binaya is the verb bana. Derived from the three Arabic letters, Bah, Noon and Ya’a, bana refers to the act of building anything, and is considered the opposite of the word destruction. In grammatical terms, binaya is a feminine noun whose plural is binayat.

As a root word, bana has several meanings related to the idea of building. It can refer to someone who builds something worthy and positive beyond a physical structure – for example, a good deed or a good relationship with someone. Bana can also refer to the idea of building something with the intention of reaching a particular goal. This can mean building up a case or an argument about something.

Bana even has a specific meaning and function when it comes to formulating and pronouncing words in the Arabic language. It refers to the act of adding harakat to Arabic words when writing them out. Harakat are the various vowel or diacritical marks that are used to indicate the sounds of letters and short vowels in words. These clarify the correct pronunciation. In this context, bana refers to the idea of building a word up from its essence.

Other meanings derived from the word bana are to build, design or decide something, or the idea of building up your body through healthy and nutritious food.

There are two other interesting words that come from the word bana. There is bounaya, which in classical Arabic can mean "my son" or any young boy. There is also bounie, which means the colour brown with a red tinge. While connected linguistically to binaya, there is no proven conceptual link to the idea of building or structure.