“backwards” in Arabic dialects
adverb
How do you say backwards across the major spoken Arabic dialects? Compare backwards (adverb) sense by sense across 5 dialects — Egyptian, Levantine, Gulf, Iraqi, Maghrebi — with English meaning, native script, transliteration and usage.
What does “backwards” mean?
adverb
- At or to or toward the back or rear“he moved back”
- In a manner or order or direction the reverse of normal“it's easy to get the `i' and the `e' backward in words like `seize' and `siege'”
English definitions from Princeton WordNet.
Quick comparison across dialects
| Dialect | Arabic (backwards) | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Egyptian Arabic | لورا | li-wara |
| Levantine Arabic | لَوَرا | la-wara |
| Gulf Arabic | على ورا | ʿala wara |
| Iraqi Arabic | ليوره | lī-wara |
| Maghrebi Arabic | باللور | b-l-lūr |
Full breakdown by dialect
Egyptian Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| لورا | li-wara | in a reverse direction |
| بالعكس | bil-ʿaks | in reverse order |
Levantine Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| لَوَرا | la-wara | towards the back, in reverse motion |
| بالعكس | bil-ʿaks | in reverse order, contrary |
Gulf Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| على ورا | ʿala wara | in a backward direction |
| لورا | li-wara | to the rear, backwards |
Iraqi Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| ليوره | lī-wara | towards the back |
| بالمگلوبي | bil-maglūbi | in reverse, upside down |
Maghrebi Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| باللور | b-l-lūr | in reverse, towards the back (Moroccan/Algerian) |
| مارشاريار | mārshāryār | in reverse (driving context, from French 'marche arrière') |
| بالتوالي | b-t-twāli | in reverse, backwards (Tunisian) |
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