IT is considered quite normal for languages to borrow words from other languages. When a language takes words from other languages, these “new arrivals” are usually called borrowings or loan words.

In many languages, the meaning behind some words and phrases may get missed when they are translated into English. Here are seven examples from the Arabic language. Arabic speakers in Australia can ...

Islam is a verbal noun originating from the triliteral root s-l-m which forms a large class of words mostly relating to concepts of wholeness, safeness and peace. In a religious context it means ...

If you look too closely, some English vocabulary just ceases to be logical. You use fanfare all your life, for instance, and then you stop and think: Wait—what does fan have to do with fare? Is that ...

In his 1991 song, Fee Sahaba, Saudi singer Mohammed Abdu declares: “In a cloud adrift upon longing, I saw my life – a shadow ...

IN A WORD. Intifada, the Arabic word which has become synonymous with a Palestinian uprising in the occupied territories, has been struck from the vocabulary of Israel radio and television reporters.

As the world marks Arabic Language Day, it is only fair to pay tribute to this rich dialect that has inspired many western languages. Many younger Arab generations are constantly accused of abandoning ...

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or ...