The diplomat who fell in love with the Finnish language
Mahmoud Mahdy Abdallah wrote large Finnish-Arabic dictionary
|
|
|
By Päivi Arvonen in Cairo
On Thursday, February 8th, Mahmoud Mahdy Abdallah celebrated the fulfilment of one of his dreams.
"The work of 16 years is finally complete", the man says as he prepares to travel from his home in Cairo.
Abdallah is about to leave for Helsinki for the publication of his Finnish-Arabic dictionary. Published by the Finnish Literature Society, the dictionary has 46,000 entries.
"The dictionary is appropriate for both students and translators, as well as for Finns working at different tasks in Arab countries", Abdallah explains.
However, the writer of the Finnish-Arabic dictionary speaks English and not Finnish. "I have a good command only of written Finnish - I read it fluently", he says, modestly.
The history of the origin of the dictionary goes back more than four decades - to 1964, when Mahmoud Mahdy Abdallah arrived with his family in Helsinki as a diplomat to work at the Egyptian Embassy.
The Finnish language and culture immediately enchanted both Abdallah and his family - especially his son Hossam and his daughter Nagwan.
"The children were under school age when we lived in Finland. They have visited with me in Finland each year since the 1960s", Abdallah says.
Hossam Mahdy uses Finland often as an example when he teaches architecture to Egyptian university students. The daughter, a jewellery designer, expresses love for Finland by using Finnish stones, especially spectrolite, in her creations.
Abdallah, who had an extensive career at the Egyptian Ministry for Foreign Affairs, first as a diplomat and later as an ambassador, is a language teacher by training. He taught English for four years before moving on to a diplomatic career in 1957.
"Finland was my first posting, and for that reason, it might be especially dear to me", Abdallah ponders.
He was enchanted by the lush vegetation and flowers of the summer, the sauna, and the vibrant cultural life.
"Especially midsummer and the sunlit nights are wonderful times in Finland. In the summer, Finns really enjoy their living!"
"Languages have always been my passion. I studied the languages of each of the countries where I was sent, because it is the duty of a diplomat to speak and understand the language of the country where he or she is stationed", Abdallah notes.
Abdallah's mother tongue is Arabic, of which he has a command of numerous colloquial dialects. In addition to Finnish, Abdallah's linguistic arsenal includes Russian, Persian, Italian, French, and English.
"It used to be much easier to get to know Finns, if one knew at least a couple of words of Finnish", Abdallah recalls.
Abdallah always carried a notebook with him.
"I wrote down words that I saw on advertisements and on signs. At home I checked the meanings in a dictionary. That is how it all started."
Mahmoud Mahdy Abdallah is 75 years old. When he retired in 1991, he was able to devote more time to the Finnish language.
In addition to his Finnish-Arabic dictionary, the fruits of his linguistic passion include two translations into Arabic: one with stories for children from the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala (2005), and a book of Mythical Stories , edited by Lauri Simonsuuri (2004).
"The Arabic translations of Finnish mythology open a window on the landscape of the Finnish mind. They are a bridge to deeper mutual cultural understanding", Mahmoud Mahdy Abdallah argues.
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 8.2.2007
Helsingin Sanomat
|
| 13.2.2007 - THIS WEEK |
 The diplomat who fell in love with the Finnish language |
|
