If the land of Lebanon could speak, it would tell a lot about its rich civilizational past. And one of the best ways a land can speak to us of its bygone influences is through its toponyms... provided one is curious enough to scrutinize them. When I started to become inquisitive vis-a-vis the real meanings... Continue Reading →

In light the perennial upheavals characterizing the Lebanese political landscape, lest you want to get in a brawl with half of your acquaintances over different political views (been there, done that!),  it would be much safer to tackle things from a more innocuous bias, say, Etymology. The word du jour is Tosh, طش: a familiar word... Continue Reading →

After getting into endless brawls, online and offline, with acquaintances and strangers alike over antagonistic political stances, on the backdrop of a perennially tumultuous Lebanese political landscape, I deemed it much safer to start tackling sociopolitical events from a different, more innocuous bias. Such as etymology. An "etymologizing" take on the "Topic du jour", if... Continue Reading →

After years of being away due to motherhood-induced upheavals and globetrotting, I am finally back, more intent on sharing my translation-relevant insights, experiences and eventual tips. Indeed, the other day as I was using an older version of MS Word, I realized that it only included in its bullet points numbering lists the conventional alphabetical order... Continue Reading →

Whatever staunch puritans of the Arabic language might say, the undeniable fact is that our spoken Lebanese language is rife with non-Arabic words and expressions. After all, this is what being at a crossroad of three continents entails. The ever-evolving fashion and garments lexicon best mirrors this fact, I believe. Fashion is always mutating with... Continue Reading →