Behind The Arabic Name

Behind the Name:
Etymology of Arabic Names

Zina Saadi, Computational Linguist
June 14, 2006

Why Are We Looking Behind the Name?

Background
Geographical background
Professional affiliation

Linguistic Software Solution
Identify and generate more rules for name matching
Name derivation: (Hamd -> Hamd, Hamed, Hamad, Hammoud, … )
Stem matching: Qantara -> Qantar -> (Qantarji, Qantary)
Persian taa: (Farhat -> ‫)ﻓﺮﺣﺖ ,ﻓﺮﺣﺎت‬

Identify name boundaries
Orthographic corrections: (‫ ,ﺁﻳﺘﻤﻴﻤﻮن‬Aitmimoun) -> (‫ ,ﺁﻳﺖ ﻣﻴﻤﻮن‬Ait Mimoun)

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Copyright © 2006 Basis Technology Corp. All rights reserved.

Languages of the Muslim World

http://www.morainevalley.edu/ctl/MiddleEast/photoGallery.htm
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Outline

Arabic name structure
Iraqi, Maghrebi

Linguistic rules behind Arabic names derivation
Basic Rules (Root & Patterns, Plurals)
Advanced Rules (Compounds, Nisbah)

Cross-lingual influence
Persian, Turkish

Regional and social facts
Across the Arab World

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English Name Structure

Full Name
John F. Kennedy

First Name Last Name
John Kennedy

Middle Initial
F.

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Arabic Name Structure

Maghreb
Full Name Middle East

First Name Middle Name Last Name

Hypocoristic/Given Name Patronym/Nisbah/Hypocoristic
Houari/Ahmed Φ Mokrane/Saadi/Boumediene Tribal System

Al-Namamshah
Saud
Given Name Patronym Patronym/Nisbah/Family-Name Enizat
Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud/Zawaydeh
Saddam Hussein Al-Tikriti

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Components of an Arabic Full Name
Title Hypocoristic Given-Name Patronym Family-Name Nisbah
Title
Masculine
(MSA: Imam, Sheikh), (Maghrebi: Si, Sidi, Moulai)
Feminine
(MSA: Sheikha), (Maghrebi: Lalla)

Hypocoristic (Kunya)
Metaphoric
(Ibn Al-Ardh, son of the land) -> traveler
Dialectal
(Iraq: Khalid -> Abu Al-Walid, Hussein/Hassan -> Abu Ali)
First-born child
(Abu/Um Ahmad, Abu/Um Mona)
Political
(Houari Boumediene Mohamed Boukharouba)

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Components of an Arabic Full Name (Cont.)

Given name
Nouns (Osama -> type of lion), (Maha -> Wild Cow)
Adjectives (Kareem -> generous), (Lateefa -> gentle)
Verbs (Yazid -> he increases)

Patronym (Nasab)
Father’s and grandfather(s)’ given names
Ibn Abdullah, Ouyahya, Bin Laden

Family name
Al-Ahmar
Bani Oumayya, Banou Quraidha, Ait Hammouda, Al Saud

Nisbah
Al-Baghdadi (from Baghdad), Haddadi (blacksmith), Saadi

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Example of an Arabic Name
Al-Sheikh Abdullah Bin Hussein Bin Naser Bin… Al-Ahmar
‫اﻟﺸﻴﺦ ﻋﺒﺪ اﷲ ﺑﻦ ﺣﺴﻴﻦ ﺑﻦ ﻧﺎﺻﺮ ﺑﻦ... اﻷﺣﻤﺮ‬

http://www.alahmar.net/gallery/ 9

Let’s Analyze the Name
http://www.alahmar.net/gallery/

‫اﻷﺣﻤﺮ‬ ‫ﺑﻦ ﺣﺴﻴﻦ‬ ‫ﻋﺒﺪ اﷲ‬ ‫اﻟﺸﻴﺦ‬
Al-Ahmar Bin Hussein Abdullah Al-Sheikh
Family Name Patronym Given Name Title

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Other Examples of Arabic Names

Arabic Mathematician (850)

‫اﻟﺨﻮارزﻣﻲ‬ ‫ﺑﻦ ﻣﻮﺳﻰ‬ ‫ﻣﺤﻤﺪ‬
Nisbah Patronym Given Name

From Khawarezm Son of Mussa Muhammad

Arabic Geography Scholar (1178-1229)

‫ﺑﻦ ﻋﺒﺪ اﷲ اﻟﺤﻤﻮي اﻟﺒﻐﺪادي‬ ‫ﻳﺎﻗﻮت‬ ‫أﺑﻮ ﻋﺒﺪ اﷲ‬ ‫ﺷﻬﺎب اﻟﺪﻳﻦ‬ ‫اﻹﻣﺎم اﻟﺸﻴﺦ‬
Given
Nisbah Patronym Name Hypocoristic Hypocoristic Title
Son Father
Captive bought by “Askar Alhamaoui” of Yaqut of Shihab Addin Al-Imam
Al-Baghdadi -> from Baghdad Abdulla Ruby Abdulla Star of religion Al-Sheikh

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Basic Linguistic Rules of Arabic Name Derivation

Arabic root & pattern derivational structure

3-character root
‫ ك.ت.ب‬Arabic Root -> (‫)ف.ع. ل‬
‫“ آﺘﺐ‬to write” -> (‫“ )ﻓﻌﻞ‬to do”

Root Pattern Example
(‫ ,ك.ت.ب‬k.t.b) (‫ , َﺎﻋﻞ‬faa’il)
ِْ ‫ﻓ‬ ‫( َﺎ ِﺐ َﺎ ِﻴﻦ‬Algerian Writer)
‫آﺗ ﻳﺳ‬
(‫ ,ح.م.د‬H.m.d) (‫ , َﺎﻋﻞ‬faa’il)
ِْ ‫ﻓ‬ ‫َﺎ ِﺪ زﻳْﺪ‬
َ ‫ﺣﻣ‬ (Kuwaiti Poet)
(‫ ,س.ع.د‬s.’.d) (‫ ,أﻓﻌﻞ‬af’al)
ْ َْ ‫( أﺳ َﺪ ﺳ ِﻴﺪ‬Lebanese Poet)
‫َ ْﻌ َﻌ‬
(‫ ,ص.د.م‬S.d.m) (‫ ,ﻓ ﱠﺎل‬fa’’aal)
ْ ‫َﻌ‬ ‫ﺻ ﱠام ﺣﺴﻴْﻦ‬
َ ُ ‫َﺪ‬

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Rules for Plurals in Names

Jordanian Common Family Names:

(‫ ,ﻓ ِﻴﻼت‬f’iilaat) -> (‫ ,ﻋ ِﻴ َات‬Ebeedat), (ْ‫ ,ﺳ ِﻴ َات‬Seidat)
ْ َ ‫ْﻌ‬ ‫ْﺒ ﺪ‬ ‫ْﻌ ﺪ‬
(‫ ,ﻓ َاﻋِﺔ‬fawa’ileh) -> (‫ ،ﻋ َاﻧ ِة‬Awandeh), (‫ ,ز َاﻳ ِة‬Zawaydeh)
‫َ ﻮ ِﻠ‬ ‫َﻮ ْﺪ‬ ‫َو ْﺪ‬

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Rules for Compound Names

Compounds

[A B] vs. [AB] Form (Connecting vs. Non-Connecting Characters)

Name Influence Comment
Bin Ladin ‫ ﺑﻦ ﻻدن‬Colloquial /‫ /ن‬is a connecting letter
Ibn Khaldoun ‫ اﺑﻦ ﺧﻠﺪون‬MSA /‫ /ن‬is a connecting letter
Ait Ahmed ‫ ﺁﻳﺖ أﺣﻤﺪ‬Berber /‫ /ت‬is a connecting letter
Abu Ahmed ‫ أﺑﻮ أﺣﻤﺪ/أﺑﻮأﺣﻤﺪ‬MSA /‫ /و‬is a non-connecting letter
Boumediene ‫ ﺑﻮﻣﺪﻳﻦ‬Colloquial /‫ /و‬is a non-connecting letter
Bahmed ‫ ﺑﺎأﺣﻤﺪ‬Yemeni /‫ /ا‬is a non-connecting letter
Al Bawazir ‫ ﺁل ﺑﺎوزﻳﺮ‬MSA/Yemeni /‫ /ل‬is a connecting letter
/‫ /ا‬is a non-connecting letter

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Use of Nisbah in Names

Nisbah

How Nisbah is formed?

Types of Nisbah

Nisbah Formation

A sample of some linguistic rules
Nisbah of compounds
Nisbah of two names

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How Nisbah is Formed?

Suffixing an assimilated yaa to the stem of the name A forming a
name B

B = stem(A) + ِ +‫ي‬
ّ
Example: ‫ﺻﺪام ﺣﺴﻴﻦ اﻟﺘﻜﺮﻳﺘﻲ‬
ّ
Saddam Hussein Al-Tikriti

The logical relation between (A,B) => “if x is B, then x is from A”

‫ﻣﺤ ﱠﺪ ﻗﺮﻳﺸﻲ =< ﻣﺤ ﱠﺪ ِﻦ ﻗ ِﻴَﺔ ﻗﺮﻳْﺶ‬
َ ُ ‫ُ َﻤ ﻣ َﺒ ﻠ‬ ِ ْ َ ُ ‫ُ َﻤ‬
Muhammad Qureishy => Muhammad is from the tribe of Qureish

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Types of Nisbah

Nationality or ethnical Word Nisbah
background
(‫ ,ﻋﺮب‬Arab) (‫ ,ﻋﺮﺑﻲ‬Arabic)
(‫ ,هﻨﺪ‬India) (‫ ,هﻨﺪي‬Indian)

Religious affiliation Word Nisbah
(‫ ,إﺳﻼم‬Islam) (‫ ,إﺳﻼﻣﻲ‬Islamic)

Trade or handicraft Word Nisbah
(‫ ,ﺻﻨﺎﻋﺔ‬industry) (‫ ,ﺻﻨﺎﻋﻲ‬industrialist)

Adjective formation Word Nisbah
(‫ ,ذهﺐ‬gold) (‫ ,ذهﺒﻲ‬golden)
(‫ ,ﺑﺤﺮ‬sea) (‫ ,ﺑﺤﺮي‬naval)
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Advanced Nisbah Forms

Nouns ending with taa marbouta -> taa marbouta deletion

Word Nisbah

(‫ ,ﻗﺎهﺮة‬Cairo) (‫ ,ﻗﺎهﺮي‬Cairene)

(‫ ,ﻣﻜﺔ‬Mecca) (‫ ,ﻣﻜﻲ‬Meccan)

Nouns already ending with assimilated yaa
How many letters does it consist of?

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Advanced Nisbah Forms (cont.)

Nouns consisting of:
[1 letter + assimilated yaa] Word Nisbah
assimilated yaa -> (‫ ,ﺣﻲ‬living)
َّ (‫ ,ﺣﻴﻮي‬vital)
ّ ِ ََ
Yaa+fatha+waw+kasra
Waw+fatha+waw+kasra
(‫ ,ري‬irrigation)
ّ َ (‫ ,رووي‬irrigator)
ّ ََِ

[2 letter + assimilated yaa] Word Nisbah
assimilated yaa ->
(‫ ,ﻋﻠﻲ‬Ali)
ّ َِ (‫ ,ﻋﻠﻮي‬Alawite)
ّ ِ ََ
fatha+ Φ +waw+kasra
Waw+fatha+waw+kasra (‫ ,ﻧﺒﻲ‬prophet)
ّ َِ (‫ ,ﻧﺒﻮي‬prophetic)
ّ ِ ََ

[3 letters and above + assimilated yaa]
assimilated yaa -> Nisbah yaa

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Nisbah of Compounds

[A B] form

Proper noun compound

Word Nisbah
(‫ ,ﻋﺒْﺪ اﻟﺸﻤْﺲ‬Abdushams) (‫ ,ﻋﺒﺸﻤﺴﻲ‬Abshamsy)
‫ﱠ‬ َ ّ ِ ْ َ َْ
(‫ ,ﻋﺒْﺪ اﻟ ﱠار‬Abduddar)
‫َ ﺪ‬ (‫ ,ﻋﺒﺪري‬Abdary)
ّ ِ َ َْ
(ْ‫ ,ﻋﺒْﺪ اﻟﻼت‬Abdullat)
‫ﱠ‬ َ (‫ ,ﻋﺒﺪﻟﻲ‬Abdaly)
ّ َِ ْ َ

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Nisbah of Compounds (cont.)

Other noun compounds

[Abu/Ibn/Um/Abd] + B => [Abu/Ibn/Um/Abd] + nisbah(B)

Word Nisbah
(‫ ,ا ُﻮ ﺑﻜْﺮ‬Abu Bakr)
َ ‫ﺑ‬ (‫ ,ا ُﻮ ﺑﻜﺮي‬Abu Bakri)
ّ َِْ ‫ﺑ‬
(‫ ,إﺑْﻦ ﺳﻌْﺪ‬Ibn Saad)
َ ِ (‫ ,إﺑْﻦ ﺳﻌﺪي‬Ibn Saadi)
ّ ِْ َ ِ
Possessive => nisbah(A) + B

Word Nisbah
(‫ ,ﺳﻴْﻒ اﻹﺳ َم‬Saif AlIslam) (‫ ,ﺳﻴﻔﻲ اﻹﺳ َم‬Saifiy AlIslam)
‫ْ ْﻼ‬ َ ‫َ ْ ِ ّ ْ ْﻼ‬
(‫ ,ﻋ َﺎد َﻟ ﱢﻳﻦ‬Imad Addin)
‫ِﻤ ا ﺪ‬ (‫ ,ﻋ َﺎدي َﻟ ﱢﻳﻦ‬Imadiy Addin)
‫ِﻤ ِ ّ ا ﺪ‬

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Nisbah of Compounds (cont.)

[AB] form => nisbah(A)

Example1:
AB = ‫ﺣﻀﺮﻣﻮْت‬
ََ ْ َ Example2:
A = ‫ﺣ ﻀﺮ‬َْ َ AB = ‫ﺑﻌﻠ َﻚ‬
‫َ َ ْﺒ‬
B = ‫ﻣﻮْت‬ َ A = ‫ﺑﻌﻞ‬ ْ ََ
‫ﺣﻀﺮي >= ﺣﻀﺮﻣﻮْت‬
ََ ْ َ ّ ِْ َ B = ‫َﻚ‬ ‫ﺑ‬
‫ﺑ َﻠﻲ >= ﺑﻌﻠ َﻚ‬
‫َ َ ْﺒ‬ ّ ‫َﻌ‬
Hadramawt => Hadri
Baalbak => Baali

Exceptions:
‫اﻟﺸﻴﺦ ﻋﻠﻲ ﺑﻦ ﺳﻠﻢ اﻟﺤﻀﺮﻣﻲ‬ ‫أﻳﻤﻦ ﺑﻌﻠﺒﻜﻲ‬

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Nisbah of Two Proper Names
From the CIA World Fact Book

nisbah(A,B) => stem(A)+ 2 char (B) + nisbah yaa

Example 1:
‫اﻟﺸﺎﻓﻌﻲ + اﺑﻮ ﺣﻨﻴﻔﺔ =< ﺷﻔﻌﻨﺘﻲ‬
Al-Shafe’i + Abu Hanifa(t) => Shaf’anti

Example 2:

‫ﺧ َارزم‬
ْ ِ ‫َﻮ‬ ‫ﻃﺒﺮﺳ َﺎن‬
‫َ َ ِ ْﺘ‬
Khawarezm Tabaristan

‫ﻃﺒﺮﺧ ِي‬
‫َ َ ْ َﺰ‬
Tabarkhazi

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Persian Influence on Arabic Names

Arabic borrowing of Persian
names

Word Gloss
Adjectives
(‫ ,ﻧﺮﻣﻴﻦ‬Nermine) soft
Nouns (‫ ,ﻧﺎزك‬Nazik) delicate, gentle
(‫ ,ﻧﻴﻔﻴﻦ‬Neveen) new, modern
Compounds
(‫ ,ﺟﻴﻬﺎن‬Jihan) world
(‫ ,ﺷﺎهﻨﺎز‬Shahnaz) pride of the king
(‫ ,ﺻﺎﻓﻴﻨﺎز‬Safinaz) pride of purity

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Persian Influence on Arabic Names (cont.)
Arabic borrowing of linguistically modified Arabic names by Persian

Closed taa -> open taa
Arabic Persian Gloss
(‫ ,ﻧﻌﻤﺔ‬Nimah) (‫ ,ﻧﻌﻤﺖ‬Nimat) blessing
(‫ ,ﺣﻜﻤﺔ‬Hikmah) (‫ ,ﺣﻜﻤﺖ‬Hikmat) wisdom
Phonological influence
(‫ ,ﻣﺮوة‬Marwa) (‫ ,ﻣﺮﻓﺖ‬Mervat) Mountain name

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Turkish Influence

Suffixation
Stem (Arabic word) + [Ji] suffix
-ji -> Profession

Arabic Word Stem + -ji
(‫ ,ﻣﻜ َاة‬mikwah, Iron)
‫ِ ْﻮ‬ (‫ ,ﻣﻜﻮ ِﻲ‬Mikwaji, ironing man)
‫ِ ْ َﺟ‬
(‫ ,ﻗﻨْﺪ‬qand, hard sugar)
َ (‫ ,ﻗﻨﺪ ِﻲ‬Qandaji, hard sugar maker)
‫َ ْ َﺟ‬
(‫ ,ﻗﻬ َة‬qahwah, coffee)
‫َ ْﻮ‬ (‫ ,ﻗﻬﻮ ِﻲ‬Qahwaji, café manager)
‫َ ْ َﺟ‬

Examples:
Mateen Qandaji (Turkish Poet)
Adnan Albajaji (from Iraq’s parliament)

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Regional and Social Facts
During the Ottoman ruling, the Elite class (Rulers, Leaders) were given Islamic
Arabic Names (Sultan Abdul Hamid) while the servants or housemaids were given
foreign names

Nowadays in Egypt, females in the middle- and lower-classes are given Islamic
names (Khadija, Aisha), whereas higher-class females are typically given Persian,
Turkish or common non-Islamic Arabic names (Susan, Mervat, Nancy)

Given names (Khisha, Bahloul) under strict requirements can be changed (meaning
of the name, clean record)

The “Ba-”prefix, meaning “father of”, identifies its bearer as being of Hadrami
descent (the Saudi linguist Bakalla and the Yemeni prime minister Bajammal)

Sunnis’ most common names would be Abd + 99 names of God, Ahmed, Mohammed,
and Aisha, whereas Shi’ites would prefer names such as Fatima, Ali, Hassan, and
Hussein

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References

Farid, Zainab. “Many of the names of Arab origin. The diversion did
not affect the meaning”. Retrieved on May 22nd 2006
http://www.alriyadh.com/2005/09/15/article94168.html
Tabet, Elie. “Notes Sur L’organization Des Tribus Et L’Etymologie Des
Noms Propres.” Oran Impremerie De L’association Ouvriere. 1882.
Retrieved on April 10th 2006
http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k84223s
The CIA World Fact Book. Retrieved on May 22nd 2006
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/
Wikipedia, “Arabic Name”. Retrieved on May 21st 2006
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_name
Zeyad, Mosad, “Al-Nasab”. Retrieved on May 24th 2006
http://www.drmosad.com/index128.htm

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Thank You

zinas@basistech.com

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