POST 4: Mr. Al-Mubdi, the Calligraphy Teacher

How Do You Say “Calligraphy Teacher” in Arabic?

Quick answer: A calligraphy teacher is معلّم خط (muʿallim khaṭṭ), literally “teacher of the line (script).” Arabic calligraphy is الخط العربي (al-khaṭṭ al-ʿarabī), and a calligrapher is خطّاط (khaṭṭāṭ).

Meet Mr. Al-Mubdi, the Calligraphy Teacher from Central Saudi Arabia

Mr. Al-Mubdi is one of the [Central Shabby Little Fellas → Hub link]. His surname, المبدع (Al-Mubdiʿ), means “the creative one,” a fitting name for a calligraphy teacher. [Personality line.]

How Do You Pronounce Muʿallim Khaṭṭ?

Say mu-ʿAL-lim KHATT. The kh is a scratchy sound from the back of the throat, like “loch” in Scottish English, and the ṭ is a heavier, deeper “t.” A calligrapher, khaṭṭāṭ, is khat-TAAT.

Where Do the Words Come From?

Khaṭṭ comes from the root خ-ط-ط, meaning a line or script. Khaṭṭāṭ uses the doubled-letter job-title pattern, like ḥaddād (blacksmith). → [Meet Ahmad the Blacksmith] Muʿallim means teacher. → [Meet Miss Al-Khatib the Language Teacher] His surname Mubdiʿ comes from the root ب-د-ع (to create or originate), the root of ibdāʿ (إبداع), “creativity.” Like muʿallim, it starts with mu-, “the one who does it.” Some famous scripts have names too: Naskh (نسخ) means “copying,” and Thuluth (ثلث) means “a third.” Others include Kufic (كوفي) and Ruqʿa (رقعة).

How Do You Say “Mr. Al-Mubdi Is a Calligraphy Teacher” in Arabic?

الأستاذ المبدع معلّم خط (Al-ustādh al-Mubdiʿ muʿallim khaṭṭ).

FAQ

• What is the Arabic word for pen? قلم (qalam).
• What is the Arabic word for ink? حبر (ḥibr).
• What is the Arabic word for paper? ورق (waraq).
• What is the Arabic word for creativity? إبداع (ibdāʿ), and a creative person is مبدع (mubdiʿ).
• What’s the difference between a khaṭṭāṭ and a muʿallim khaṭṭ? A khaṭṭāṭ is a calligrapher, and a muʿallim khaṭṭ is a calligraphy teacher.

Take Mr. Al-Mubdi home: [Keychain] Next: [Meet Mr. Al-Khariti the Geography Teacher →]