لم شمل
lam shaml
The English phrase 'reunion' is translated into Arabic as لم شمل (lam shaml).
The term لم شمل refers to a planned event where people come together, most commonly used for organized reunions like family reunions or the reunification of a divided group or nation.
Meaning: planned event (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the verb لم (to gather/collect) and the noun شمل (the whole/totality/completeness), literally meaning 'gathering of the whole'.
Which one should you use?
You may use اجتماع for formal meetings or reunions and تجمع for informal gatherings or reunions.
How do you pronounce it?
lam shaml
Did you know?
- In many Arabic-speaking countries, لم شمل is the standard term for the legal process of 'family reunification' for immigrants.
- The word شمل carries a poetic sense of 'comprehensiveness'. Using لم شمل implies that the group was not just separated, but that the 'wholeness' of the family or entity was broken and is now being restored.
- The verb لم originates from a combination of the preposition لِـ meaning 'for' and the word مَا meaning 'what'.
Examples in context
- لقاء العائلة العام الماضي كان ناجحاً جداً.Our family reunion last year was a great success.
- هل ستشارك في لم شمل الخريجين؟hal satushariku fi lam shaml al-kharijin?Will you participate in the alumni reunion?
Example conversation
Youssef and Nour are talking about their old friends.
- يوسف Youssefنور، هل سمعتِ عن لم شمل أصدقائنا؟Nour, hal sami'ti an lamm shaml asdiqa'ina?Nour, have you heard about our friends' reunion?
- نور Nourلا، متى سيكون هذا اللقاء؟La, mata sayakuna hadha al-liqa'?No, when will this meeting be?
- يوسف Youssefسيكون في الشهر القادم بالمدينة.Sayakunu fi al-shahr al-qadim bil-madina.It will be next month in the city.
- نور Nourرائع! أنا متحمسة جداً لرؤيتهم.Ra'i'! Ana mutahammissa jiddan li-ru'yatihim.Great! I am very excited to see them.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries شمل, لم, CC BY-SA 4.0.
