أبدا

See also: أبدأ and ابدأ

Arabic

Etymology

Adverbial accusative of أَبَد (ʔabad, “eternity”), from the root ء ب د (ʔ-b-d).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔa.ba.dan/

• Audio:

  (file)

Adverb

أَبَدًا • (ʔabadan)

1. forever, always

   Synonyms: دَائِمًا (dāʔiman), بِٱسْتِمْرَارٍ (bistimrārin), دَوْمًا (dawman), مَدَى الْحَيَاةِ (madā l-ḥayāti), مَدَى الدَّهْرِ (madā d-dahri)

   • 2000, Spacetoon (lyrics and music), “Bon-Bon planet song”‎^[1]:

     نَتَعَلَّمُ دُرُوسًا عَظِيمَةً ذِكْرَاهَا أَبَدًا تَدُومُ

     nataʕallamu durūsan ʕaẓīmatan ḏikrāhā ʔabadan tadūmu

     We'll learn magnificent lessons whose memory will last forever.

2. (with a negative, in the future) never
   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 2:95:

     وَلَنْ يَتَمَنَّوْهُ أَبَدًا

     walan yatamannawhu ʔabadan

     And they will never wish for it.

3. (with a negative) not at all, on no account, absolutely not

   هُوَ عِراقِيٌّ وَلَيْسَ سُورِيًّا أَبَدًا.

   huwa ʕirāqiyyun wa-laysa sūriyyan ʔabadan.

   He’s Iraqi and definitely not Syrian.

Interjection

أَبَدًا • (ʔabadan)

1. never!, not at all!, by no means!

Descendants

• → Afar: ábadan
• → Fula:

  Pular: abadan

  Fulfulde: abada

Moroccan Arabic

Etymology 1

Learned borrowing from Arabic أَبَدًا (ʔabadan). Doublet of أبدا (ʔabda), obsolete inherited form.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔa.ba.dan/

Adverb

أبدا • (ʔabadan)

2. never

Etymology 2

From Arabic أَبَدًا (ʔabadan). Doublet of أبدا (ʔabadan), learned borrowing form.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔab.da/

Adverb

أبدا • (ʔabda)

2. (obsolete) never

Descendants

• → Moroccan Amazigh: ⴰⴱⴷⴰ (abda)

South Levantine Arabic

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Arabic أَبَدًا (ʔabadan).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔa.ba.dan/, [ˈʔa.ba.dan]

• Audio (Amman):

  (file)

Adverb

أبدا • (ʔabadan)

1. never

   Synonyms: بالمرة (bil-marra), ولا مرة (wala marra, literally “not once”)

   Antonym: دايما (dāyman)

2. not at all

   Synonym: بالمرة (bil-marra)