ولد

English translation: (1) offspring; (2) child; (3) male child; (4) boy

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Arabic term or phrase:ولد
English translation:(1) offspring; (2) child; (3) male child; (4) boy
Entered by: Fuad Yahya

07:59 Apr 2, 2009
Arabic to English translations [Non-PRO]
Social Sciences - Genealogy / Vocab Item
Arabic term or phrase: ولد
Greetings,

My books seem to contradict themselves about the meaning of this word ولد – does it mean specifically a male i.e. a boy? Or a child in general? In this case it could be used of a girl too.

Incidentally, how should the two short vowels be pronounced? Like a Spanish/Italian A or like an English/French A or even like an E?

All the best, and many thanks,

Simon
SeiTT
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:51
(1) offspring; (2) child; (3) male child; (4) boy
Explanation:
You state: "My books seem to contradict themselves about the meaning of this word." Which books? How are they contradicting themselves? Many words have multiple meanings and usages, without any contradiction.

The noun WALAD (two short syllables, pronounced closest to WELED, with slightly heavier stress on the first syllable) is derived from the verb W-L-D, which means to give birth or to generate. As is the case with many words, this noun is used in a variety of ways, all related to its basic derivation. The exact meaning will always depend on the context.

1. The basic sense of offspring or progeny: Here is an example:

بارك الله فيك ورزقك ما تقر به عينك من الولد

This is a prayer for having children. Notice that the word is a generic, collective term. It does not refer to one or many with any specificity, and no gender is implied.

2. Child. In this sense, "child" does not refer to a minor, but rather to a person with a filial relationship to another. Example:

توفي سلمان في عامه التسعين، وكل أولاده مصابون بعين مرضه

The word here is gender-free.

3. Male child. In Modern Standard Arabic, there is a tendency towards assigning the male gender to this word. This is more so in some Arab regions than in others. For example, you may hear people saying

للنبي محمد ثلاثة أولاد وأربع بنات

In other regions (and in classical Arabic), people would say:

للنبي محمد سبعة أولاد، ثلاثة من الذكور وأربع من الإناث
أو ثلاثة من البنين وأربع من البنات

Again, this usage does not refer to minority of age, but only to the filial relationship.

4. Boy. In this usage, the term is not only restricted by gender, but also by age. The same issue exists in the English word "child," which can be used to refer to minors, but can also be extended to adults with a filial relationship.

The point is that there is no contradiction. Words can have multiple meanings and usages. Context is the key.
Selected response from:

Fuad Yahya
Grading comment
many thanks excellent
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +3(1) offspring; (2) child; (3) male child; (4) boy
Fuad Yahya


Discussion entries: 5





  

Answers


9 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +3
(1) offspring; (2) child; (3) male child; (4) boy


Explanation:
You state: "My books seem to contradict themselves about the meaning of this word." Which books? How are they contradicting themselves? Many words have multiple meanings and usages, without any contradiction.

The noun WALAD (two short syllables, pronounced closest to WELED, with slightly heavier stress on the first syllable) is derived from the verb W-L-D, which means to give birth or to generate. As is the case with many words, this noun is used in a variety of ways, all related to its basic derivation. The exact meaning will always depend on the context.

1. The basic sense of offspring or progeny: Here is an example:

بارك الله فيك ورزقك ما تقر به عينك من الولد

This is a prayer for having children. Notice that the word is a generic, collective term. It does not refer to one or many with any specificity, and no gender is implied.

2. Child. In this sense, "child" does not refer to a minor, but rather to a person with a filial relationship to another. Example:

توفي سلمان في عامه التسعين، وكل أولاده مصابون بعين مرضه

The word here is gender-free.

3. Male child. In Modern Standard Arabic, there is a tendency towards assigning the male gender to this word. This is more so in some Arab regions than in others. For example, you may hear people saying

للنبي محمد ثلاثة أولاد وأربع بنات

In other regions (and in classical Arabic), people would say:

للنبي محمد سبعة أولاد، ثلاثة من الذكور وأربع من الإناث
أو ثلاثة من البنين وأربع من البنات

Again, this usage does not refer to minority of age, but only to the filial relationship.

4. Boy. In this usage, the term is not only restricted by gender, but also by age. The same issue exists in the English word "child," which can be used to refer to minors, but can also be extended to adults with a filial relationship.

The point is that there is no contradiction. Words can have multiple meanings and usages. Context is the key.

Fuad Yahya
Native speaker of: Native in ArabicArabic, Native in EnglishEnglish
Grading comment
many thanks excellent

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Sam Shalalo
7 hrs

agree  nevine ibrahim
9 hrs

agree  Ahmed Ahmed: رائع .. كالعادة
1 day 19 hrs
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