How to say "rib" in Arabic
CognateMeaningrib
Arabic · Modern Standard Arabic
ضِلْع
ḍilʿצ'לע
ضلع
Hebrew · Modern Hebrew
צלע
tselaتْسِلَا
How the two words are related
Cognate
Same Semitic root, same meaning — you already know this word.
Arabic root
ض-ل-عHebrew root
צ-ל-עḌilʿ is צלע consonant for consonant (ض↔צ). It's the very rib of Genesis 2 — Eve is built from Adam's צלע — and צלע later drifted to also mean 'side, slope' (a hillside, a triangle's side), a metaphor Arabic ḍilʿ shares too.
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In a phrase
كَسَرَ ضِلْعَهُ
kasara ḍilʿahuכסר צ'לעהHe broke his rib.
Plural
أَضْلَاع
aḍlāʿאצ'לאעbroken plural aCCāC — like باب→أبواب