How to say "halva" in Arabic

Loanword

Meaninghalva

Arabic · Modern Standard Arabic

حَلَاوَة

ḥalāwaחלאוה

حلاوة

Hebrew · Modern Hebrew

חלווה

khalvaخَالْڤَا

How the two words are related

Loanword

Borrowed between the languages (or by both from a third).

Arabic root

ح-ل-و

The sesame-and-sugar sweet is named for its own quality: ḥalāwa literally means 'sweetness' in Arabic, from the same root ح-ل-و seen in حُلْو, 'sweet' (see that entry for the root's own Hebrew story). Hebrew חלווה borrowed the noun directly — the tub on an Israeli shelf is, etymologically, just called 'the sweetness'.

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In a phrase

حَلَاوَة بِالْفُسْتُق
ḥalāwa bi-l-fustuqחלאוה בלפסתק

pistachio halva

More words from this root

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