# Door Handle



## Andrew___

Hi everyone,

I heard this word أُكرة (ukra) to mean "handle", for example a door handle.

I am guessing this is in the Egyptian dialect, because I cannot find it in the dictionary.  

Could anyone please confirm whether I am correct in thinking أُكرة (ukra) means a handle in 3ammiya?

Thanks


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## cherine

Yes, Andrew. It's 3ammeyya. I think the right MSA word is miqbad al-baab مقبض الباب .


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## Andrew___

Thanks Cherine.

Does anyone know if أُكرة is used in dialects other than the Egyptian dialect?


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## yasmeena

I've never heard of this word before. So it is not used in Lebanon and Syria.


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## elroy

I've never heard it either.  In Palestinian Arabic, we say إيد الباب (_iid il-baab_, lit. "the door's hand").


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## Andrew___

Thanks guys.  In that case, it's probably best that I use the MSA form in future, given that this ukra word is not widespread.



yasmeena said:


> I've never heard of this word before. So it is not used in Lebanon and Syria.



Hi Yasmeena, could I ask you what is the word which Lebanese people like to use?  Is it the same as Elroy's إيد الباب?


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## yasmeena

> Hi Yasmeena, could I ask you what is the word which Lebanese people like to use? Is it the same as Elroy's إيد الباب?


Yes Andrew, it is إيد الباب or مسكة الباب (masket il-baab).


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## Josh_

Al Sulhafa said:


> Thanks guys.  In that case, it's probably best that I use the MSA form in future, given that this ukra word is not widespread.


Well, it just depends on where you are.  In Egypt you can use the word, but in other areas you would use whatever  term they use.

I also wanted to mention that I believe (correct me if I am wrong) that _ukra_ only refers to a "door handle" or "doorknob and maybe also for a handle on a window.  But in other instances where one would render "handle" in Egyptian Arabic it would be إيد _iid_ or يد _yadd_.  For example if you wanted refer to the handle on a cup you would not say أكرة الفنجان _ukrit il-fingaan_ but إيد/يد الفنجان _iid/yadd il-fingaan_.  This can also be referred to as a ودن _widn_ (as in ودن الفنجان _widn il-fingaan_), so-called, I suppose, because the handle kind of resembles an ear.


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## Andrew___

Thanks Josh for your comments on this.



Josh_ said:


> Well, it just depends on where you are.  In Egypt you can use the word, but in other areas you would use whatever  term they use.



May I beg to differ respectfully on this interesting point.  Whilst your approach is ideal in a perfect world where everyone has the time to learn MSA and all dialects, I am currently a fan of the "White Language" (اللغة البيضاء).  

One of the goals of the White Language is to focus on words and phrases which are common across many different dialects.  For example, in spoken conversation I would prefer to use words like "ruuH", "shuuf" and "aqdar" instead of "رأى","ذهب" and "استطاع", because these are common across most dialects whereas "رأى" "ذهب" and "استطاع" are not used_ in any dialect _(as far as I'm aware)_._

This approach is somewhat similar to what a great many natives do in any case, even though not intending to speak the White Language - for example you hear this type of blending frequently on TV interviews.

On the same basis, if ukra was used in many parts of the Arab world, then I would prefer to use it in daily conversation without a wholesale abandonment of MSA.  Since there does not appear to be a widespread 3ammiyya form of the phrase "door handle", then I would prefer to stick to مقبض الباب and put my mind to rest for the time being. 

(And you might ask, well that approach won't help you if you're on the receiving end of 3ammiya and don't understand what is being said to you.  Firstly I would say that, when listening to others, it's often easy to guess new words you hear in 3ammiya based on the context. In this way one can understand the words, even though one wouldn't have been able to produce them themselves.  And as a last resport one can always politely ask the speaker to repeat the phrase in MSA.  As Elroy likes to say, it's the same language ).


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## Josh_

I see.  I didn't realize you were going for the so-called White Language, or what is also termed Formal Spoken Arabic.  I was going on the assumption that you would be speaking in the Egyptian dialect.


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## ayed

*Context :Badawi life*.
We call the tail of a Dab(lizard-like reptile just looks like an alligator) *3okrah* , a Classical Arabic word.I googled this word and found it mentioned three or four times.
Nomadic people sometimes call the tail of a she-camel or he-camel *3okrah *
*إمسك الضب بعكرته *Grap the Dab from its tail
*إمسك البعير بعكرته *Grap the camel from its tail.


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## cherine

Josh_ said:


> [...] in other instances where one would render "handle" in Egyptian Arabic it would be إيد _iid_ or يد _yadd_. For example if you wanted refer to the handle on a cup you would not say أكرة الفنجان _ukrit il-fingaan_ but إيد/يد الفنجان _iid/yadd il-fingaan_. This can also be referred to as a ودن _widn_ (as in ودن الفنجان _widn il-fingaan_), so-called, I suppose, because the handle kind of resembles an ear.


Yes, Josh, you're right. But إيد الفنجان is more common than wedno


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## the-quality-man-4

"3ourwa" or it's an old-fashioned word?


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## Mahaodeh

عُرْوَة is standard Arabic, I'm not sure but I think I heard people use it in collequal too unless that was a borrowing from MSA.


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## elroy

In Palestinian Arabic, عروة (pronounced "3irwe") means "buttonhole."


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## Mahaodeh

Ibn Manthour agrees with you:

العُرْوَة من الدلو والكوز المقبض أي أذنهما ومن الثوب أخت زرّهِ وكلُّ ما يُؤخَذ باليد من حلقة فهو عُروة

 It's not old fashion though.


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