# Lebanese Arabic: Lalous



## guapa123

Hi,
Someone has posted hearts and the word lalouuuss on my boyfriends profile in lebanese. What does this mean please?
He has told me it is just his nickname?
Thanks so much!


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## Kinan

Maybe it's his nick name indeed, what's his name? does it start with L?


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## guapa123

Hi, His name is Elie. Thanks


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## Arabus

Is he Arab? Perhaps his Arabic name is Elias, which would be made affectionately Lalous (or maybe there is a custom there to call people named Elie Lalous?)

Anyway, in my opinion this is too casual and she shouldn't be talking to him this way if she was not his close relative.


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## Finland

Hello!



guapa123 said:


> Someone has posted hearts and the word lalouuuss on my boyfriends profile in lebanese. What does this mean please?
> He has told me it is just his nickname?



Sounds completely normal. Lalous is a nickname for several different first names, and I could imagine such a thing and hearts being written, on FB for example, by just about anyone: friend, sister, whatever... As a gross generalisation, Arabs in general and maybe the Lebanese in particular like to be affectionate in a way that sometomes feels even surprising to Europeans.

Trust is a nice thing as well.

HTH
S


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## Kinan

yes it's a completely normal thing.


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## Arabus

Finland said:


> Hello!
> 
> As a gross generalisation, Arabs in general and maybe the Lebanese in particular like to be affectionate in a way that sometomes feels even surprising to Europeans.



True, and I think this is wrong. The problem with modern Arabs is that they don't know how to draw a line between what is acceptable and what is not.


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## Finland

Hello!



Arabus said:


> True, and I think this is wrong. The problem with modern Arabs is that they don't know how to draw a line between what is acceptable and what is not.



This is completely outside the scope of the subject, but I must say that I have never found the more exteriorised way of expressing emotions disturbing! I think it is great that not everyone in this word keeps a stiff upper lip.

Celebrating diversity,
S


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## guapa123

Hello,
Thank you all for your advice. I have to say that being English it is not usual to write such things for someone who is not your partner. 
Thanks for letting me know about the different cultural aspect, as I was unaware of it but thanks to you all,I am now!
It is a relief to me to understand it, and in future I won't take these type of comments seriously!
Thanks again


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## Arabus

It is not very usual in Arabic culture either.


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## إسكندراني

It is common for Egyptian youth to use nicknames. It depends how conservative the environment is... but I guess Arabs that move to Europe often aren't conservative. It's not meant as flirting (as Arabus seems to feel?) it's often just a thing with friends. I have a couple of friends who have nicknames for almost everyone they meet.


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## Arabus

I lived in the US. In that country you do not get hearts and an affectionate nickname from a woman unless she is your mother (when you are kid) or your partner (when you are grown up). This is not normal in the West, neither in the Arab world. People who accept that in Syria and Lebanon are usually young people who think they are being "liberal." There is nothing liberal about not respecting your spouse.


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## Muwahid

Something has been happening with Arab youth, especially on facebook, where their drab lives become love stories.. يا حياتي يا عمري والله إنك عسل etc etc. They're over the top on networking sites probably because in reality these actions are more or less taboo besides in the more liberal cities. Arab culture is traditionally against it, and even western culture shys from this. So yes I think they believe they're being "liberal" and "western", but they have no real world examples, just media. You can imagine if Americans all acted the way people act on American soaps, in real life. Would just be a disaster, a hilarious disaster.


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## إسكندراني

Guys giving a nickname is not that big a deal, it doesn't even show affection in some social spheres. It shows friendship or informality, not intimacy.


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## Arabus

Not from a female to an engaged man.


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## cherine

Arabus, you are right. Theoretically. But you need to look around more often and see how people, specially the young generation, treat each other. I get that cultural shock almost whenever I pass by a group of young people near the university: the way the "joke" together was utterly unthinkable and very criticized just 10-15 years ago.

 It can also be a matter of regional differences. In Egypt, many boys and girls who are friends (not in a romantic relation) call each others with nicknames without fear of being misunderstood.


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## Arabus

I didn't deny that it exists. I just said it is inappropriate. I am specifically talking about engaged people.


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