This was very helpful!
I’m writing a story with a Lebanese MC. Her parents belong to the Greek Orthodox religion, and her aunt and uncle who she goes to live with in the second chapter are Protestant Christians.
She doesn’t smoke cigarettes or shisha because she’s allergic, but her best friend (who is also Lebanese-American) does smoke a lot. Her aunt and uncle don’t smoke because of religious reasons. The MC begins to dress a bit more conservatively once she starts living with them.
My cousin’s husband is Lebanese, so I’ve learned a lot from both of them, but there’s so much more to learn. Thank you so much for creating this thread. I have a couple of questions:
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It is explained in the story that the MC doesn’t have an Arabic name because her mother named her after a fictional character. But what about middle names? Is it common for Lebanese people to have a middle name?
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And nicknames? For example, the MC’s aunt’s name is Safiyah, but she also goes by Saf. It’s pretty normal to shorten one’s name in the US, but would her mother and other Lebanese relatives call her Saf, or are there different ways of giving people pet names in Arabic culture?