The Meaning of Love in 4 of the World’s Oldest Languages
Some languages predate others. Unfortunately, some go extinct, but others evolve into new dialects and languages. Four of the oldest languages still spoken today include Hebrew, Arabic, Tamil and the dialect Mandarin. What does love mean in these languages and what cultural connotations can we derive from them?
Hebrew: Ahavah
Many words express the nuances of love, including words for physical affection and desire. However, Ahavah is a term broadly used for love in a variety of contexts, such as parental, sisterly and friendly relations. Love is a choice. One is either the recipient of that love or chooses to give love to another, this can be between people or people’s relationship with God. In a religious context, this means that love is action-oriented, not just speech or word of mouth but precedes actions, like serving and living justly (Bible Project, 2017).
Arabic: Hubb
Like Hebrew, Arabic also has various words to express love. The most common term is Hubb. Hubb comes from the root word seed and can be interpreted as love growing into something beautiful (Maliki, 2022). This growth is exemplified by other terms expressing the different stages of love. The first stage is calling one another Habibi (masculine) or Habibti (feminine), meaning ‘my love’ used among family and friends (“Arabic Expressions of love,” n.d.).
Tamil: Anbu
Anbu is the Tamil translation of love. Like Ahavah and Hubb, this word is used in various contexts. It is typically used in parental, sibling, and friend relations. A more accurate translation of Anbu might be affection. Romantic love is typically referred to as Kadhal and used in the context of “they fell in love.”
Written Chinese: ài
Many sources include Chinese as an ancient language because of its recorded inscriptions on artifacts like dated bones and tortoise shells (Tu, 2023). The word love in written Chinese is ài. When saying ‘I love you’ in Mandarin, its translation is Wǒ ài nǐ. This phrase is not actively used when expressing one’s love. It is seen as very strong and sentimental. The depth of this phrase makes it uncommon to express normally. You would not use this phrase when expressing love for chocolate or even love for your parents (Hobbs, 2023). Even though its rare use might seem absurd, I find it quite encouraging to see language carry so much weight. The word love is not used frivolously in this language.
Comparison to English
English uses one word: love, as the one-stop shop for any expression of love. This is not something to be saddened by since its nuance is represented contextually. Those contexts include getting down on one knee, lingering in a hug from your mother or saying it in the big group hugs, bear hugs and pet embraces. This affirms Noam Chomsky’s statement that language is not just words, but also a culture and unifier of communities. I hope this Valentine’s Day, saying the word love, like many languages, is an act of unification!
I would also encourage you to look more into why these languages have gained academic consensus as being ancient languages still spoken today. Some have contested the timelines for these languages in comparison to others— but hey, glass half full! That means there is much more to discover in languages that predate them. Regardless of who wins the ‘race’ of being the oldest, these languages still have ancient roots worth exploring!