Animals

1. كلب

   Kalb

   Dog

   Usage

   "ʿAḍḍanī kalb" means "a dog bit me". Aimed at a person it is a serious insult, so keep it to the animal. Rabies is a real risk — see a doctor if bitten

2. قطة

   Qiṭṭa

   Cat

   Usage

   Cairo and Amman are full of street cats, fed at shopfronts and in the old quarters. If you are allergic, say "ladayya ḥasāsiyya min al-qiṭaṭ"

3. طائر

   Ṭāʾir

   Bird

   Usage

   The general word. The Red Sea coast and the Jordan Valley sit on the main migration corridor between Europe and Africa. The plural is "ṭuyūr" (طيور)

4. سمك

   Samak

   Fish

   Usage

   The same word covers the animal and the dish. The Red Sea reefs are exceptionally rich in fish, which is the point of diving or snorkelling there

5. حصان

   Ḥiṣān

   Horse

   Usage

   The Arabian horse ("al-ḥiṣān al-ʿarabī") is reckoned one of the oldest breeds. You will be offered rides at Petra and Giza — check how the animals are treated before agreeing

6. جمل

   Jamal

   Camel

   Usage

   Arabic has an unusually rich camel vocabulary: "nāqa" (ناقة) is a she-camel and "baʿīr" (بعير) a pack camel. You will ride one in Wadi Rum or the Sahara — they rise abruptly, so find your handhold first

7. حمار

   Ḥimār

   Donkey

   Usage

   Still working in villages and the narrow lanes of old cities. Aimed at a person it becomes an insult, so keep it to the animal

8. بقرة

   Baqara

   Cow

   Usage

   Kept in the Nile valley and Levantine farmland. Beef is "laḥm al-baqar"

9. خروف

   Kharūf

   Sheep

   Usage

   Seen in Bedouin flocks along the desert margins. The meat is "laḥm aḍ-ḍaʾn", also written "laḥm al-ghanam" on menus

10. ماعز

    Māʿiz

    Goat

    Usage

    One of the most widely kept animals in the region because it copes with dry ground. The goats that climb argan trees in Morocco are famous. Goat cheese is "jubn al-māʿiz"

11. دجاجة

    Dajāja

    Chicken

    Usage

    The bird; the meat is the collective "dajāj" (دجاج). In Egypt the everyday word is "firākh" (فراخ)

12. ديك

    Dīk

    Rooster

    Usage

    In village and oasis guesthouses it will wake you at dawn

13. بطة

    Baṭṭa

    Duck

    Usage

    Seen on the Nile and in Jordan Valley wetlands. In Egypt "baṭṭ" (بط) is a common dish

14. حمامة

    Ḥamāma

    Pigeon / dove

    Usage

    They flock in squares and old quarters. Egyptian villages have distinctive mud pigeon towers ("burj al-ḥamām"), and stuffed pigeon, "ḥamām maḥshī", is a local dish

15. صقر

    Ṣaqr

    Falcon

    Usage

    Falconry ("aṣ-ṣiqāra") is a living tradition in the Gulf — the UAE has hospitals for falcons and airlines that let them travel on a seat. Look for them at the falcon souq

16. قرد

    Qird

    Monkey

    Usage

    Barbary macaques live in the cedar forests of Morocco's Middle Atlas near Ifrane, and hamadryas baboons in southwestern Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Do not feed them — they will go for your bag

17. ثعلب

    Thaʿlab

    Fox

    Usage

    Widespread in desert and semi-desert. They come to the smell of food at night camps, so seal your supplies

18. فنك

    Fanak

    Fennec fox

    Usage

    The small Saharan fox that sheds heat through its huge ears, and one of Algeria's national symbols. Strictly nocturnal, so you will not see one by day. Any offered for sale is almost certainly illegally caught — do not buy

19. ذئب

    Dhiʾb

    Wolf

    Usage

    The Arabian wolf lives in the wilds of Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Oman. Travellers almost never see one, but it is why herders keep dogs

20. أرنب

    Arnab

    Rabbit / hare

    Usage

    Hares live in the semi-desert, and in Egypt and Tunisia rabbits are also raised for the table

21. فأر

    Faʾr

    Mouse / rat

    Usage

    Report one at reception: "yūjad faʾr fī al-ghurfa". The plural is "fiʾrān" (فئران)

22. ثعبان

    Thuʿbān

    Snake

    Usage

    Sheltering in ruined walls and the shade of dunes. "Thuʿbān sāmm" is a venomous snake. If bitten, stay still and call for help

23. أفعى

    Afʿā

    Viper

    Usage

    Arabic marks venomous snakes off from "thuʿbān" with this word. The horned viper ("afʿā al-qurūn") buries itself in sand with only its eyes showing. Always wear shoes and carry a light in the desert at night

24. سحلية

    Siḥliyya

    Lizard

    Usage

    Common in the desert and among ruins, and harmless. The larger spiny-tailed lizard has its own name, "ḍabb" (ضب), and is seen in Gulf deserts

25. وزغة

    Wazagha

    Gecko

    Usage

    On guesthouse walls and ceilings after dark. They eat the insects, so there is no need to chase them off

26. عقرب

    ʿAqrab

    Scorpion

    Usage

    The thing to watch for at desert camps: shake out shoes and sleeping bags before use, and get medical help at once if stung. "Ladaghatnī ʿaqrab" means "a scorpion stung me". The same word names the hands of a clock

27. عنكبوت

    ʿAnkabūt

    Spider

    Usage

    House spiders are essentially harmless. The desert camel spider, "ʿankabūt ash-shams", looks alarming but has no venom — it is simply fast

28. بعوضة

    Baʿūḍa

    Mosquito

    Usage

    Worst along the Nile, at oases and in wetlands. Repellent is "ṭārid al-ḥasharāt"; "yūjad baʿūḍ fī al-ghurfa" reports mosquitoes in the room

29. ذبابة

    Dhubāba

    Fly

    Usage

    A nuisance at outdoor eateries and in markets; the collective is "dhubāb". At sweet and fruit stalls, check the goods are covered

30. نحلة

    Naḥla

    Bee

    Usage

    If you are allergic, say "ladayya ḥasāsiyya min ladgh an-naḥl". Yemeni sidr honey ("ʿasal as-sidr") fetches some of the highest prices in the world

31. دبور

    Dabbūr

    Wasp / hornet

    Usage

    Drawn to anything sweet, so watch your pastries and juice outdoors. Swatting invites a sting — stay still instead

32. نملة

    Namla

    Ant

    Usage

    Report them if they appear in your room or kitchenette; the collective is "naml". Keep food covered

33. صرصور

    Ṣurṣūr

    Cockroach

    Usage

    Grounds for asking to change rooms: "yūjad ṣurṣūr fī al-ghurfa, hal yumkin taghyīr al-ghurfa?"

34. سلحفاة

    Sulaḥfāt

    Turtle / tortoise

    Usage

    Ras Al Jinz in Oman is a well-known green-turtle nesting beach with guided night visits, and snorkellers meet them in the Egyptian Red Sea too

35. قنديل البحر

    Qandīl al-baḥr

    Jellyfish

    Usage

    Literally "lamp of the sea". Numbers rise on the Mediterranean coast in summer. If stung, tell the lifeguard "ladaghanī qandīl al-baḥr"

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