A useful new resource for eco-writers in the Middle East, now online.
Eco-English vocabulary is hard enough to work with. And for the narrow niche of writers working with Arabic, English, and ecological issues, the search for that appropriate word can get frustrating.
But relief is in sight. Researcher Moshe Terdamana has published the dictionary that fits this dilemma on Green Compass Research.
Not only for writers, but for students and anyone seriously following ecological developments (or disasters) in the Middle East, as in this post about about the Sinai’s ecological future, this new online dictionary is going to prove a treasure.
The dictionary includes transliteration of Arabic words into English, facilitating correct pronunciation. For example, how do you say “agro-biodiversity” in Arabic? Here you go: tanawwu’ bayolojy zira’i. Or “air pollution?” It’s talawuth al-hawa’. Skipping over the letters to W, here’s “water-use efficiency”: kafa’at istikhdam al-miyah.
The Arabic-English ecological dictionary is free and updated regularly. The author says he hopes to include Hebrew, French, Persian, and Turkish in the future. The site is rather bare except for the dictionary at this time, but given that Terdemana is writing it as a volunteer and in his spare time, there’s only one word for this work: bravo.
More linguistic twisters on Green Prophet:
Image of crossword via Shutterstock.
Author: Miriam Kresh
Miriam Kresh is an American ex-pat living in Israel. Her love of Middle Eastern food evolved from close friendships with enthusiastic Moroccan, Tunisian and Turkish home cooks. She owns too many cookbooks and is always planning the next meal. Miriam can be reached at miriam (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
