Emirati book of proverbs launched at Abu Dhabi International Book Fair
Al Mtwassef is a collection of Emirati proverbs based on oral tradition
Abu Dhabi: The second edition of Al Mtwassef, a collection of 534 Emirati proverbs, published by Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center (HHC), was launched at the 30th Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF) on Friday.
According to HHC, the latest edition of the book “is a broader version of UAE’s colloquial proverbs. Additional Emirati proverbs were included to enrich the book, now counting to a grand total of 534 Emirati proverbs and wisdom sayings.”
The book was researched and collected by HHC CEO Abdullah Hamdan Bin Dalmook based on oral tradition and collecting wisdom quotes from UAE’s colloquial memory.
Colloquial tradition
Bin Dalmook said: “Knowing the truth about the origin of the proverbs is more important than adding more proverbs to the book, which is all based on collecting proverbs and wisdom quotes from UAE’s colloquial memory. Moreover, the book was written in Emirati Arabic with simple elaborations and alphabetisation. We hope that people can enjoy this rich Emirati heritage content,” he told Gulf News.
A book signing of the second edition of Al Mtawssef’s took place at HHC’s stand on Friday and as Bin Dalmook read some proverbs from the book.
Old documents
HHC also displayed old manuscripts under its Wathiqati initiative that was launched back in 2014 aimed at collecting documents from individuals to preserve UAE’s heritage. The old documents from establishments, institutions and individuals were restored and archived professionally.
One document showed a building request to construct a house in Dubai’s Al Rifaa area, dating back to 1934. Another set of documents showed the family book and health card of Sheikh Mohammed Zaman who was born in Dubai in 1910.