«اِلْعِشْرَهْ مَا تْهُونْشْ إِلَّا عَلَى قَلِيلِ الْأَصْلْ»

The saying holds that a bond built through long, close association and time shared together carries real weight, and that a person of decent character will not casually set it aside. Loyalty to those one has shared life with is treated as a mark of good upbringing and inner worth.

Conversely, it brands anyone who lightly dismisses or forgets such a bond as lacking in character. Its talk of poor roots judges conduct and upbringing, not social class or lineage; turning on an old companion is presented as evidence of a mean nature rather than a simple lapse.

Use when someone has abandoned, betrayed, or forgotten a long-standing friend or close associate, to signal disapproval of their conduct. It passes a sharp judgment on character, so it suits reproach or commentary rather than gentle conversation.