# Does this "Arabic" glyph actually mean anything? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 30, 2012, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-arabic-glyph-actually-mean-anything/633111 "2012-08-30T04:57:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-arabic-glyph-actually-mean-anything/633111/1 "2012-08-30T04:57:07Z")
It’s probably gibberish, but can anyone tell me if [this symbol](http://home.comcast.net/~Ranchoth/mysteryglyph.png) seen on a medal presented by an Arab king in an old 80s GI Joe cartoon, actually happens to mean anything? It could be (and probably is) just an animator’s squiggle, true, but this is the same series that had some books labeled with Led Zeppelin album names in the foreground of one episode, and the “H.S. Thompson Chemical Plant” being guarded in another, so you never know. And I thought I’d better check. 'Anyone here care to take a look? ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-arabic-glyph-actually-mean-anything/633111/2 "2012-08-30T07:52:11Z")
Gimme a day or two, it is the weekend here. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-arabic-glyph-actually-mean-anything/633111/3 "2012-08-30T08:15:47Z")
It means 83? (In Arabic numerals, of course) Or perhaps it’s just a “G Clef” connected to an “F Clef” with another one on top of it (minus the dots). ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-arabic-glyph-actually-mean-anything/633111/4 "2012-08-30T11:22:58Z")
Looks like a “mua,” which is (naturally) a reversed Aum. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-arabic-glyph-actually-mean-anything/633111/5 "2012-08-30T11:28:48Z")
I have no immediate clue, but let’s not assume that the portrayed orientation is correct. It is entirely possible that the presenter of the glyph is unaware of the meaning as well. Therefore, it could be upside down. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-arabic-glyph-actually-mean-anything/633111/6 "2012-08-30T11:47:02Z")
It looks like an ayn, yah, aleph, and lam. What that means, I don’t know, but it’d basically be pronounced “\_yal” where the \_ is a sort of glottal stop and click noise. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-arabic-glyph-actually-mean-anything/633111/7 "2012-08-30T12:43:54Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > It means 83? > > (In Arabic numerals, of course) I don’t know what it is but it definitely isn’t numerals. Despite the name, numerals in Arabic don’t look anything like the numerals we use, except the 1 and 9 have a resemblance. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-arabic-glyph-actually-mean-anything/633111/8 "2012-08-30T13:48:05Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > I don’t know what it is but it definitely isn’t numerals. Despite the name, numerals in Arabic don’t look anything like the numerals we use, except the 1 and 9 have a resemblance. Only if you don’t notice that our “2” and “3” are simply rotated 90 deg. [Link.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu%E2%80%93Arabic_numeral_system) But I agree, the letters (which aren’t a “glyph”) are not numbers. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-arabic-glyph-actually-mean-anything/633111/9 "2012-08-30T14:19:47Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > It looks like an ayn, yah, aleph, and lam. What that means, I don’t know, but it’d basically be pronounced “\_yal” where the \_ is a sort of glottal stop and click noise. I see “something” yal, but if the first is ayn it’s backward. Almost looks like a K or an H. I have heard that particularly elegant Arab calligraphy can be difficult even for native speakers. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-arabic-glyph-actually-mean-anything/633111/10 "2012-08-30T15:58:46Z")
“MYAL,” which my Egyptian friends says sounds like some sort of Gulf Arabic thing. It is not a real word, says he. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-arabic-glyph-actually-mean-anything/633111/11 "2012-08-30T18:03:21Z")
I just checked: the Assitant Matte Artist for that episode was **Myal Jablonski**. Coincidence, or chance? You Decide! ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-arabic-glyph-actually-mean-anything/633111/12 "2012-08-30T20:47:42Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > It looks like an ayn, yah, aleph, and lam. What that means, I don’t know, but it’d basically be pronounced “\_yal” where the \_ is a sort of glottal stop and click noise. No. ‘Ayn is neither a glottal stop nor a click. It’s traditionally described as a pharyngeal fricative, though nowadays phoneticians are also calling it an epiglottal approximant. Some have even called it a sort of of vowel. The word that you spelled out, عيال (_‘iyāl_), means ‘family’. However, as pointed out, the text in question does not have a ‘ayn. I read it as يحلا yā’ ḥā’ lām alif, which spells the word _yaḥlā_, which means ‘it is sweet’. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-arabic-glyph-actually-mean-anything/633111/13 "2012-08-30T20:59:49Z")
> [@digs](#): > > I just checked: the Assitant Matte Artist for that episode was **Myal Jablonski**. I think I see what you’re getting at, but no way in hell does that come close to “Jablonski.” :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-arabic-glyph-actually-mean-anything/633111/14 "2012-08-30T21:16:15Z")
> [@digs](#): > > I just checked: the Assitant Matte Artist for that episode was **Myal Jablonski**. > > Coincidence, or chance? You Decide! > [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > “MYAL,” which my Egyptian friends says sounds like some sort of Gulf Arabic thing. It is not a real word, says he. Ah. So it’s a [mim](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mem). I see it now. It’s just more open that normal. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-arabic-glyph-actually-mean-anything/633111/15 "2012-08-31T00:40:39Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > No. ‘Ayn is neither a glottal stop nor a click. It’s traditionally described as a pharyngeal fricative, though nowadays phoneticians are also calling it an epiglottal approximant. Some have even called it a sort of of vowel. My Arabic book says that English speakers use those muscles but not for speaking, so if you feel like you’re throwing up then you’re doing it right. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-arabic-glyph-actually-mean-anything/633111/16 "2012-08-31T08:08:44Z")
I imagine that “Myal” may be a female name, and the artist may have copied a bit of jewelry. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-arabic-glyph-actually-mean-anything/633111/17 "2012-08-31T10:43:20Z")
> [@digs](#): > > I just checked: the Assitant Matte Artist for that episode was **Myal Jablonski**. > > Coincidence, or chance? You Decide! Have you got the same obscure 1980s series on video? The only Google hit for “Myal Jablonski” is this very thread. I looked on IMDB and there’s no sign of him (I think Myal is a male name, BTW), either in the [1985](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086719/fullcredits#cast) or [1990](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337762/fullcredits#cast) series. Quite impressive SDMB sleuthing! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-arabic-glyph-actually-mean-anything/633111/18 "2012-08-31T14:10:33Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > Ah. So it’s a [mim](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mem). I see it now. It’s just more open that normal. Should have checked the “Know your Mims” site. ETA: looks more like MILA than MYAL to me; could well be a piece of “your name in Arabic” jewelry that someone copied. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-arabic-glyph-actually-mean-anything/633111/19 "2012-08-31T19:09:05Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > My Arabic book says that English speakers use those muscles but not for speaking, so if you feel like you’re throwing up then you’re doing it right. 🙂 That was more or less the concept I came to use to pronounce it back when I was trying to learn Arabic.