‘Su'al’: The Arabic word for question comes in many forms

The meaning of the term has not changed over time but the type of question differs depending on context

The Arabic word for question is su'al

Nobel prize-winning Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz has been quoted as saying, "You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions".

This week our Arabic word is su'al, which simply means question. More broadly it is the universal way to acquire knowledge and wisdom.

The word is a noun derived from the verb sa'ala, which means to ask or to enquire. Both the verb and the noun come from the three Arabic letters, seen, alif and lam. The plural form of the word can be said in two ways, su'alaat and as'ela.

In Arabic, the word su'al means a question, verbal or written, asked in order to seek more information or clarity. It can also act as a means to add doubt or to further explore a rule, guideline or idea.

It’s an important concept that comes in many forms. Exam questions for students are used to test the knowledge they have learnt. In business and science questions are posed to prove theories and ensure plans are implemented correctly. In social interactions questions are vital to get to know new people, a way to better understand the boundaries of other people. There are also philosophical questions, which often do not have a clear answer but are used as prompts to explore abstract concepts.

The word and the meaning of su'al hasn’t changed over time nor across the various Arabic dialects, but its context varies depending on the way the word is expressed within a conversation. Various phrases do this. For example, su'al shakhsee refers to a personal question, su'al mughlack refers to a close-ended question, and su'al mua’aqd means a complex question.

These phrases help to give more clarity and nuance to the idea of a question.

Interestingly, the word su'al has other Arabic variations to do with the concept of questions. Saa’il (masculine) and saa’ilaa (feminine) refer to the person who asks a question. Sa'ala (masculine) and sa’alat (feminine) are verbs meaning he or she asked. Sa'alane refers to being asked a question by someone. Tasaa’ul is the concept of questioning someone and mas'alah refers to a topic or issue often riddled with questions.

One of the most popular songs in the Arab world is by the renowned Lebanese songstress Fairuz and deals with the idea of being questioned. Titled Saalouni El Nass (The People Asked Me) from her album Emany Satea, the song tells the story of a woman telling her missing lover that people are asking whether he will come back to her or not, causing her to question his dedication and love for her.