How to say "north" in Arabic
Shifted meaningMeaningnorth
Arabic · Modern Standard Arabic
شَمَال
shamālשמאל
شمال
Hebrew · Modern Hebrew
צפון
tsafonتْسَافُون
How the two words are related
Shifted meaning
Same root as a Hebrew word, but the meaning drifted over the centuries.
Arabic root
ش-م-لHebrew root
ש-מ-א-לHebrew שמאל means 'left' — and it is the same word. In the old Semitic orientation you faced the sunrise, so north lay on your left; Arabic shamāl kept both senses ('north', and as shimāl, 'left').
Related Hebrew word:שמאלsmolسْمُول
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In a phrase
فِي شَمَال الْبَلَد
fī shamāl al-baladפי שמאל אל-בלדin the north of the country