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Since 2019, Marwan Kaabour has been collecting Arabic slang words used by and about queer people, first for the online community Takweer, and now the newly published Queer Arab Glossary. "When researching for this book, I discovered so much of the sociopolitical, cultural, linguistic, and historical layers that make up the words," he says. He also discovered quite a lot about frying, white beans and worms (metaphorical ones).
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“I am waging a battle on two fronts with this book,” says Kaabour, who is based in London. “The first is directed towards the authorities of my own people, those who claim that queerness is a western import. I am debunking that. I’m showing them how we have been a big part of Arab society since day one. The second is facing westwards, particularly to those who have rightwing politics, who say that Arabs are somehow innately homophobic or sexist.”
“We tend to forget that prior to the colonial and imperial powers that have dominated our nations for so long, there are long stretches in Arab history that showed a far more open and relaxed attitude to sexuality and gender identities,” he explains. “I wanted to shed light on those narratives, so we can feel that our existence is a continuation of one that stretches way back.”
“Expectedly, a lot of slang used by young queers is informed by western slang,” Kaabour explains. “Due to the proliferation of the internet, we see that a lot of English words have entered the Arabic dialects, such as ‘boya’, an Arabisation and feminisation of the word ‘boy’, meaning a boyish girl, which is used across the Gulf region, or botmah an Arabisation of ‘bottom’ which is used in Jordan.”
Another rubbing term, reclaimed.
Otherlusionists: there’s a playlist of queer language-related episodes here, such as Many Ways at Once, in which Harry Josie Giles added queer vocabulary to the Scots language.
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YOUR RANDOMLY SELECTED WORD FROM THE DICTIONARY:
detritivore, noun, zoology:
an animal which feeds on dead organic material, especially plant detritus.
Derivatives: detritivorous, adjective.
Origin 1960s: from detritus + -vore 'eating' (see -vorous).
CREDITS:
Marwan Kaabour is a multidisciplinary artist and designer who also runs Takweer, and is the editor of the newly published Queer Arab Glossary, illustrated by Haitham Haddad. Marwan’s Instagram is @ustaz_marwan.
This episode was produced by me, Helen Zaltzman, with editorial assistance and music is by Martin Austwick. Download his songs at palebirdmusic.com and listen to his podcasts Song By Song and Neutrino Watch.
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