POST 5: Abdel-karim, the Pearl Merchant

How Do You Say “Pearl Merchant” in Arabic?

Quick answer: A pearl merchant is تاجر لؤلؤ (tājir luʾluʾ), pronounced TAA-jir LU-ʾu-ʾ. Tājir means merchant, and luʾluʾ means pearls.

Meet Abdel-karim, the Pearl Merchant from Eastern Saudi Arabia

Before oil, pearling was a major trade along the Gulf coast, including Eastern Arabia. Abdel-karim trades pearls as one of the [Eastern Shabby Little Fellas → Hub link].

How Do You Pronounce Tājir Luʾluʾ?

Say TAA-jir LU-ʾu-ʾ. The j is as in “jam,” and the ʾ is a tiny catch in the throat, like the pause in “uh-oh.”

Where Do the Words Come From?

Tājir comes from the root ت-ج-ر (to trade). Tijāra (تجارة) is trade, and matjar (متجر) is a shop or store. Tājir has the same “AA-i” shape as ṣāʾigh (silversmith) and ʿālim (scholar). → [Meet Hawdah the Silversmith] Luʾluʾ is the word for pearls, and a single pearl is luʾluʾa (لؤلؤة).

How Do You Say “Abdel-karim Is a Pearl Merchant” in Arabic?

عبد الكريم تاجر لؤلؤ (ʿAbd al-Karīm tājir luʾluʾ).

FAQ

• What is the Arabic word for pearl? لؤلؤة (luʾluʾa), and لؤلؤ (luʾluʾ) for pearls in general.
• What is the Arabic word for sea? بحر (baḥr).
• What is a pearl diver in Arabic? غوّاص (ghawwāṣ), from ghawṣ (غوص), “diving.”
• What is the Arabic word for shop? متجر (matjar). An online store is متجر إلكتروني (matjar iliktrūnī).

Take Abdel-karim home: [Keychain] Next: [Meet Zina the Goldsmith →]