How's that spelled?

Spexxvet • Jul 19, 2006 6:00 pm
The name of the militant group in southern Lebanon has been spelled in a variety of ways on this board. How do you spell it, and why do you spell it that way?
Spexxvet • Jul 19, 2006 6:00 pm
Hezbollah, because I saw it spelled that way somewhere.
JayMcGee • Jul 19, 2006 8:59 pm
its spellt a variety of ways....

'terrorist group'
'freedom fighter'
'legitimate political party within the Lebbanese Democratic state'
'people who don't like Israel and are partial to firing rockets at said state'
'anyone north of the Israeli border & therefore fair game for the IDF'


take your pick....
Undertoad • Jul 19, 2006 9:34 pm
I spell it, on purpose,

Hisballah

Hisb = party

Allah = (of) god

Hezbollah is the accepted spelling, I think.
Aliantha • Jul 20, 2006 1:57 am
Hezbollah because that's how it's meant to be spelled apparently.
bluecuracao • Jul 20, 2006 2:47 am
I wonder if it matters--aren't we just spelling these terms phonetically, using our alphabet?
Ibby • Jul 20, 2006 4:38 am
yeah, really it's spelled scribblescribblecurlicuescribbleswirldotswirlscribble.
Trilby • Jul 20, 2006 9:15 am
The Israeli newspaper Emet spells it Hizb'Allah.

Interesting to read the differing opinions of Western concern (or, lack thereof) about the conflict. According to an online Lebanese paper (the Daily Star) the West doesn't care about them and we are not doing enough and the online Israeli paper, Emet, says pretty much the same thing: we don't care and we're not doing enough. The world really IS nothing but junior high school.
Flint • Jul 20, 2006 9:25 am
Spelt.
Spexxvet • Jul 20, 2006 10:38 am
Flint wrote:
Spelt.

Actually, the answer to "how's that spelled?" is T-H-A-T. :rolleyes:
Spexxvet • Jul 20, 2006 10:39 am
Ibram wrote:
yeah, really it's spelled scribblescribblecurlicuescribbleswirldotswitlscribble.

You forgot the umlat over the swirl!:p
Stormieweather • Jul 20, 2006 11:23 am
As BlueCuracao said, we are phonetically spelling a word from another language. Arabic has a different alphabet and there are sounds in Arabic that English and other European languages simply don't have. How it is translated into English depends on the translator and their dialect.

Brianna probably posted the most accurate translation, Hizb'Allah, or Party of God. The ' often denotes the word "of".

I took some Arabic language classes when I was in Saudi Arabia, both oral and written. I was taught Classical Arabic as opposed to one of the many dialects used in Jordan, Lebanan, Egypt or another of the nearby Middle Eastern countries. For example, Muhamed, Mahammed, Muhammad, Mahamad are all translations of the very same name.

Stormie
Aliantha • Jul 21, 2006 4:58 am
According to dictionary.com, spelled and spelt can mean the same thing and are both correct.

Perhaps it isn't worth discussing anyway.
DucksNuts • Jul 22, 2006 12:40 am
Its kinda like worst - worse and spoiled - spoilt.

Although, I find posting on this board I would use the *worse* and *spoiled* option, whereas on Aussie boards I use *spoilt* and *worst*.
Ibby • Jul 22, 2006 2:19 am
But worse and worst are two different meanings... arent they? bad : worse : worst :: good : better : best...?
Clodfobble • Jul 22, 2006 9:40 am
You're certainly correct in America, Ibram, I dunno about Australian usage...
person • Aug 18, 2006 12:31 pm
Stormieweather wrote:

Brianna probably posted the most accurate translation, Hizb'Allah, or Party of God. The ' often denotes the word "of".


As with Hebrew (biblical and modern) the B' (the B together with the following apostrophe) denote 'of' -- so one proper English transliteration of 'Party of God' would be 'Hez B'Allah'

Interesting stuff, this transliteration business. I am surprised by how close modern Arabic and Hebrew remain, having derived from the same mother tongue thousands of years ago.
Urbane Guerrilla • Aug 18, 2006 12:45 pm
While I am no Orientalist, it seems after their exhibition of a strategy consisting solely of crimes against humanity in Lebanon, Hezbollah might better be named "Hezb-i-Shaitan."