Literary Criticism
10 words · ~15 min
Literary criticism vocabulary and analytical expressions (يَرمِزُ إِلى، يُعَبِّرُ عَن)
Naguib Mahfouz (1988 Nobel Prize) pioneered the Arabic novel. Modern Arabic literature spans from social realism to experimental forms.
Lesson overview
Literary Criticism is a level B2 lesson of 10 words: 8 nouns, 1 verb and 1 adjective. Its words come from 8 Arabic roots, listed below with links to each root family.
- Builds on: Music & Performance (B2)
- Leads to: Cultural Movements (B2)
Word list
| Arabic | Meaning | Type | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
اِقْتَبَسَ iqtabasa | to quote / to borrow (literary) | verb | ق-ب-س |
قَصِيدَة qaṣīda | poem / ode | noun | ق-ص-د |
دِيوَان dīwān | poetry collection / anthology | noun | د-و-ن |
مُذَكِّرَات mudhakkirāt | memoirs | noun | ذ-ك-ر |
سِيرَة ذَاتِيَّة sīra dhātiyya | autobiography | noun | س-ي-ر / ذ-و-ت |
مَسْرَحِيَّة masraḥiyya | play (theater) | noun | س-ر-ح |
وَثَائِقِيّ wathāʾiqiyy | documentary | adjective | و-ث-ق |
حَنِين ḥanīn | nostalgia / longing | noun | ح-ن-ن |
شَغَف shaghaf | passion / deep interest | noun | ش-غ-ف |
وَحْدَة الوُجُود waḥdat al-wujūd | unity of existence (Sufi concept) | noun | و-ح-د / و-ج-د |
Themes these words belong to: Literature Arts (10)
Sample word cards
Exercises and spaced review for all 10 words
"Literary Criticism" is one of 144 vocabulary lessons in Fahm Premium, each with guided exercises and spaced-repetition review. The first 10 lessons are free to try.
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