How to say "poor, put-upon, pitiful (colloquial Arabic) → poor thing (Israeli slang)" in Arabic
LoanwordMeaningpoor, put-upon, pitiful (colloquial Arabic) → poor thing (Israeli slang)
Arabic · Modern Standard Arabic
ghalbānע'לבאן
غلبان
Hebrew · Modern Hebrew
albanأَلْبَان
How the two words are related
Borrowed between the languages (or by both from a third).
Arabic root
غ-ل-بHebrew root
ע-ל-בFrom ghalaba, 'to overcome, defeat' — a ghalbān is literally 'the overcome one', a colloquial CaCCān adjective on the same pattern as زَعْلَان and this app's own طَفْرَان. Some traditionally compare the root to Hebrew ע-ל-ב of עלבון, 'insult' (غ↔ע is a regular shift) — to be overcome and to be humiliated aren't far apart, though the link is not certain. Israeli slang uses it with real tenderness, for someone put-upon and pitiable.
Related Hebrew word:עלבוןelbonإِلْبُون
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In a phrase
a poor girl (pitiful)
Feminine
More in Arabic You Already Speak
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- written, fated (Arabic) → it's written, meant to be (Israeli usage)maktūbمَكْتُوبמכתוב
- complete, perfect (Arabic) → exactly!, spot on! (Israeli slang)tamāmتَمَامתמאם
- oh, forbidden/pitiable! (Arabic exclamation) → oh, poor thing! (Israeli slang)yā ḥarāmيَا حَرَامיא חראם
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