POST 1: Ali, the Corn and Rice Farmer

How Do You Say “Corn and Rice Farmer” in Arabic?

Quick answer: A corn and rice farmer is مزارع ذرة وأرز (muzāriʿ dhura wa-aruzz), pronounced mu-ZAA-riʿ DHU-ra wa-A-ruzz. Muzāriʿ means farmer, dhura means corn, aruzz means rice, and wa- means “and.”

Meet Ali, the Corn and Rice Farmer from Eastern Saudi Arabia

Al-Ahsa, a huge oasis in the east, is known for its date palms and its rice. Ali farms his fields as one of the [Eastern Shabby Little Fellas → Hub link].

How Do You Pronounce Muzāriʿ Dhura wa-Aruzz?

Say mu-ZAA-riʿ DHU-ra wa-A-ruzz. The ʿ is the deep throat ʿayn sound, and the dh is like the “th” in “this.”

Where Do the Words Come From?

Muzāriʿ comes from ز-ر-ع (to plant or sow). → [Meet Aisha the Olive Grower] The little word wa- joins the next word and means “and.” Aruzz (أرز) is rice, and it’s where the Spanish word arroz comes from. In everyday Gulf Arabic, rice is often رز (ruzz).

How Do You Say “Ali Is a Corn and Rice Farmer” in Arabic?

علي مزارع ذرة وأرز (ʿAlī muzāriʿ dhura wa-aruzz).

FAQ

• What is the Arabic word for rice? أرز (aruzz), or رز (ruzz) in everyday speech.
• What is the Arabic word for corn? ذرة (dhura). To say “yellow corn,” add صفراء (ṣafrāʾ): ذرة صفراء.
• What is the Arabic word for harvest? حصاد (ḥaṣād).
• What is the Arabic word for field? حقل (ḥaql).

Take Ali home: [Farmer Teatowel] Next: [Meet Thumreen the Date and Chicken Farmer →]