ARABIC-L: LING: Origin of "Kuwait"

[Dilworth B. Parkinson]

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Arabic-L: Tue 02 Feb 1999
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1) Subject: Origin of "Kuwait"

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1)
Date: 02 Feb 1999
From: John Leake <jleake at shikar.demon.co.uk>
Subject: Origin of "Kuwait"

Dear Udaba',

This is a question I've posed to a couple of newgroups, without success
to date, so with your permission I'll ask it here.  Can anyone shed any
light for me on the origins of the name 'Kuwait'?  I read in a history a
while back that it was derived from 'kuut', a fort, but my old Arabic
teacher cast doubts on this explaination.  I can see no kwt root in
Firuzadabi's 'Qamus' except for what seems to be a *laqab* and kyt seems
irrelevant.  Is an origin attested?  Is there any supporting literature?

John Leake

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End of Arabic-L: 02 Feb 1999