Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Arabic term or phrase:
Parents
Arabic answer:
عموما: آباء - خصوصاً: آباء وأمهات
Arabic term
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Parents
I know this is a colloquial reference to the word 'parents' in some parts of the Arab world, but is it a correct and acceptable translation 'generally speaking'?
"أهل" would mean 'family' or 'relatives', doesn't it?
I have been using "آباء" (in this particular translation) as a generalised/neutral form. You know how in Arabic it's a tradition to use the masculine gender to address readers .. etc, I have used the same analogy in this case. Is this wrong of me to have done so?
I would appreciate your advise on this.
I am sorry that this is a tall order!!
Thanks
| 4 +1 | الوالدان، الأبوان |
Fuad Yahya
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Jan 6, 2006 07:57: Fuad Yahya changed "Field" from "Art/Literary" to "Social Sciences" , "Field (specific)" from "(none)" to "Social Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc." , "Field (write-in)" from "Family and community services" to "Family "
Jan 6, 2006 07:57: Fuad Yahya changed "Level" from "Non-PRO" to "PRO"
Responses
الوالدان، الأبوان
1. ALWALIDAN:
للرجال نصيب مما ترك الوالدان والأقربون
النـساء 7
2. AL-ABAWAN:
فإن لم يكن له ولد وورثه أبواه فلأمه الثلث
النساء 11
AHL means "of" or "people of", as in the following Qur'anic exmples:
أهل البيت، أهل الكتاب، أهل الإنجيل، أهل القرى، أهل المدينة، أهل الذكر، أهل مدين، أهل يثرب، أهل النار، أهل التقوى، أهل المغفرة،
When the reference is to a person, then his AHL are basically his "folks," or kin, as in:
وإن خفتم شقاقاً بينهما فابعثوا حكماً من أهله وحكماً من أهلها
النساء 35
Or as in Ahmad Showqi's:
هل المنادون أهلوها وإخوتها
from تلفتت ظبية الوادي
It would be a rather poor translation of "parents."
Fuad
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Note added at 2002-03-27 13:43:00 (GMT)
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Two options are available for a group of parents:
1. Contemporary usage favors آباء وأمهات
2. It is not incorrect (except politically) to use آباء alone. Qur\'anic usage supports that:
قالوا بل نتبع ما ألفينا عليه آباءنا
أتجادلونني في أسـماء سـميتموها أنتم وآباؤكم
I do not recommend using this abbreviated expression in a contemporary setting, unless the full expression is extremely awkward and the intention is perfectly clear.
| agree |
AhmedAMS
: What would be the equivalent Arabic if we are talking about a group of parents?
1 hr
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