Arabic vocabulary
كَعْبKa'b in Arabic
كَعْب is how you say “Ka'b” in Arabic. Hear it pronounced and see it used in real example sentences from classical texts below.
Root ك ع ب (k-ʿ-b)nounPronounced kaʿb
Meaning of Ka'b in Arabic
- the ankle-bone; the joint where the shank meets the foot — each foot has two such bones, one on either side; grammarians disputed whether it sits atop the foot or between shank and foot
- a knuckle-bone or die thrown in games — the cockal-bone used in a backgammon-like game; playing with it is mentioned as forbidden
- a cube, in arithmetic; also a knot or joint-segment of a reed, cane, or spear-shaft
- eminence, nobility, glory (figurative) — as in the invocation 'may God exalt his glory'
كَعْب names the ankle-joint anatomically, but also covers anything with the same round, jointed, or block-like shape: a die or play-bone, a segment of a reed, or a cube in arithmetic. It also carries a figurative sense of standing or glory, as in the classical phrase 'may God exalt his kaʿb.'
Words from the same root
- كَعَبَfor a girl's breast to swell or become prominent
- كَعَّبَto make square or cubic; to fold cloth firmly; of a reed, to put forth jointed segments
- أَكْعَبَto hasten off; to leave hurriedly, heedless of what is left behind
- كَاعِبٌa girl whose breasts have just begun to swell
- مُكَعَّبٌmade cubic or square; firmly folded
- مُكَعِّبٌone who strikes; an epithet from beating the protuberances of the head
Common questions
- How do you say "ankle" in Arabic?
- كَعْب (kaʿb) — the ankle-bone, at the joint where the shank meets the foot.
- Does كَعْب mean anything besides "ankle"?
- Yes: it also names a die or knuckle-bone used in games, a cube in arithmetic, a knot-segment of a reed or spear-shaft, and figuratively "glory" or "eminence."
Definitions synthesised from Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon (E. W. Lane, 1863–1893).
Example sentences
وعن كعب قال
And Ka'b said:
كَعْبٍ — Ka'b. Proper name (Ka'b); the '-in' ending — it follows 'an' (from), so it takes the 'of' (genitive) ending.
From: Angels at al-Aqsa →قال أبي بن كعب لأن هذا فعل الجبابرة
Ubayy ibn Ka'b said that this is the action of the tyrants.
كَعْبٍ — Ka'b. This is the father's name, the owner in 'son of Ka'b', in the genitive to mark that possessive link. Its ending closes the naming chain.
From: Eating in Moderation →
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