02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
'Izza': The Arabic word for dignity also denotes honour and respect
There is a famous Arabic saying that has been attributed to many people in history, which translates as: 'Have mercy on the once-honourable who has been humiliated, the once-rich who has become poor, and the scholar who is lost among the ignorant.' The phrase invites both humility and caution. It asks for mercy towards those who have lost what they once had. Izza, this week's Arabic word, means dignity, honour, power and respect, depending on the context of its use. Izza and words branching from it appear 11 times in the Quran. While some attribute its origin to a similar word in Hebrew, others say it comes from the name of a pre-Islamic deity, Al Uzza. Izza is also a girl's name, while Izzat and Mutaz, which means dignified, are boys' equivalents. Azeez, which comes from izza, is used to address someone who is honoured, respected and beloved, with azeezy used in the possessive. The Arabic phrase for 'once honourable' is azeez qawm, literally translating to 'dignified by his people'. Other languages have similar-sounding words. Recently, British singer Ed Sheeran released a song titled Azizam, which is the Persian variation of azeezy. Izza can also mean power and honour, as used in a verse from the Quran which reads: 'And to Allah belongs all honour, and to His Messenger, and to the believers.' Self-respect in Arabic is izzat al nafs, which translates to 'dignity in oneself'. Azeez al nafs describes a person who is humble and treats everyone equally and fairly. Speaking to someone, to say uizuka means 'I cherish you'. A funeral is called azaa which refers to mourners taking part in a dignified ceremony after the deceased is buried. Famous Arab celebrities named Izza (or its equivalent) have included Egyptian actors Ezzat Abou Aouf and Ezzat El Alaili, as well as Lebanese sculptor Ezzat Mezher.
