'Lugha': the Arabic word for language is almost a language in itself

It is only fitting that this particular term comes in many forms

Lugha in Arabic translates to language in English. Talib Jariwala / Getty

An Arabic saying claims that if you were to learn the Arabic language, you’d become a maestro without the need for musical instruments.

“Takallam al Arabiyya wa ialam maaniha, takun musiqiyyan bidoon allaat musiqiyya.”

While we don’t expect these weekly explorations of Arabic words to make you proficient in the language, we do hope to instil a fascination for its lilts, expressions and meanings. Or maybe even nudge you towards learning the language.

But be warned, as another expression says: “Man taallam al lughat al Arabiyya iktashafa aamaaqan la yazalu yaghoosu feeha.” Who learns the Arabic language discovers depths they are still diving into.

But let’s go back to the surface: lugha is Arabic for language, and while you can say lughat al-Arabiya or simply al-Arabiya to signify the Arabic language itself, it's also known by all sorts of monikers.

It is known as lughat al-Quran, or language of the Quran, because it is the liturgical language of Islam.

Early grammarians also referred to Arabic as lughat al dad, or language of the dad, after the letter, which is pronounced with an emphatic "d".

Arabic is generally divided into two categories: fusha or classical Arabic, and al ammiyye or colloquial.

Ilm al lugha is the study of language. A grammarian or linguist for that matter is known as a lughawi. Kutub al lugha are books related to language, such as the dictionary (qamoos).

Al lugha al umm is a person’s mother tongue.

Uhadi al lugha is monolingual. Bilingual, meanwhile, is thuna'iyyu al lugha.

Lughat al jism is body language. Lughat al aala is machine code in computer programming.

Lughat al uyoon or al quloob is the language of love or passion.

Lugha mayyita is a dead language that is no longer in use (unlike this one).