For this week’s Arabic word, we've chosen a very common phrase that seems to have no equivalent in any other language.
Na’eeman, used for males and females, is an idiomatic expression used in three particular instances: when one has had a shower or bath; when one has had a haircut; or when one has had his beard trimmed.
The phrase is used to congratulate the recipient on their clean state or fresh look.
The root of the word comes from naeem, which means bliss or paradise. This also adds more layers to the meaning and usage of the phrase.
With the root meaning of the word in mind, Na’eeman also implies well wishes to the recipient that their experience during their shower, bath or haircut was a blissful and pleasant one. It also reinforces the notion that being more hygienic, or having improved your appearance after a haircut, is a blessing for you.
While Naeem can be used to describe a mental or spiritual state of existence, adding the "an" at the end of the word changes its use to only ever be applicable to these three particular instances where one is “transformed”.
It’s common for na’eeman to be used among acquaintances and friends, but the phrase is used more often for family members and loved ones — since you're more likely to see them straight after a shower or bath at home.
When one is a recipient of the phrase na’eeman, a sufficient response would be "shukran", meaning “thank you".
However, to equal the sentiment and intention of na’eeman, the ideal response would be “Allah Yen’am alayk” for males or “Allah Yen’am alayki” for females. The literal meaning of this response is “may God bless you” or “may God return the blessing on to you”.
Much like using the expression “bless you” after someone sneezes or “cheers” after a toast has been made, na’eeman has no origin or reference to religion, but has become such a common idiom and set phrase in the Arabic language that it has become a part of dialects across the region.
Legendary Egyptian singer and actress Leila Mourad had a popular song Na’eeman Ya Habiby which translates to Na’eeman my Love.
The song was from the 1950 romantic musical The Shores of Love, where Mourad plays a character also named Leila, a penniless, beautiful singer who falls in love with Adel, a rich bachelor from a well-known upper-class family played by Husain Sidqi.
Mourad sings the words Na’eeman Ya Habiby and other iterations of the phrase to Adel after they marry, despite his family’s schemes to separate them. Even though Mourad’s character serenades Adel after he showers, shaves and while he gets ready for work, the phrase is used also as a blessing to protect him and their marriage from anyone who means to cause them harm.
The lyrics of Na’eeman Ya Habiby are by celebrated Egyptian poet and writer Salah Jawdat, while the melody was composed by Mohamed Alqasbijee, who is widely regarded as one of the 20th century's leading Egyptian composers.
Scroll through the gallery below to see more of The National's Arabic words of the week
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WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
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How to help
Donate towards food and a flight by transferring money to this registered charity's account.
Account name: Dar Al Ber Society
Account Number: 11 530 734
IBAN: AE 9805 000 000 000 11 530 734
Bank Name: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
To ensure that your contribution reaches these people, please send the copy of deposit/transfer receipt to: juhi.khan@daralber.ae
2024%20Dubai%20Marathon%20Results
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Yuki Means Happiness
Alison Jean Lester
John Murray
The essentials
What: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature
When: Friday until March 9
Where: All main sessions are held in the InterContinental Dubai Festival City
Price: Sessions range from free entry to Dh125 tickets, with the exception of special events.
Hot Tip: If waiting for your book to be signed looks like it will be timeconsuming, ask the festival’s bookstore if they have pre-signed copies of the book you’re looking for. They should have a bunch from some of the festival’s biggest guest authors.
Information: www.emirateslitfest.com
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (all kick-offs UAE time)
Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (10.30pm)
Saturday
Freiburg v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Sunday
Schalke v Augsburg (3.30pm)
Mainz v RB Leipzig (5.30pm)
Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf (8pm)
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
if you go
'HIJRAH%3A%20IN%20THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20PROPHET'
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Brief scores:
Toss: Northern Warriors, elected to field first
Bengal Tigers 130-1 (10 ov)
Roy 60 not out, Rutherford 47 not out
Northern Warriors 94-7 (10 ov)
Simmons 44; Yamin 4-4
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
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