"fatwa" not listed in Oxford English Dictionary

[Victor Steinbok]

Well, OED3 does have mentions of fatwa, but no entries. Definition of
mufti 1. [partial]:

> A Muslim cleric or expert in Islamic law empowered to give rulings on
> religious matters, /esp./ a legal scholar competent to deliver a fatwa.

There also 5 quotations, under Indian-born (C. under Indian adj. and
n.), mulla, parastate, pressurize (Iran, in this case), and rescinding.
The dates range from 1991 to 2003, which is far too late to be
reasonable early use.

VS


On 9/18/2012 12:29 PM, Cohen, Gerald Leonard wrote:
> In OED3 one finds "fetwa" but not "fatwa." A bit of revising is in order here, since not everyone would think of looking under "fetwa." For easy access I present the OED entry below.
>
> Gerald Cohen
>
> [OED3]:
>
> FETWA, n.
>
> Pronunciation:  /ˈfɛtwə/
> Forms:  16–18 fetfa, 17 fetva, 18 fethwa, fetwa.
> Etymology:  < Arabic fetwa (pronounced by the Turks fetfa ), < fatā , in 4th conj. to instruct by a legal decision (present participle muftī mufti n.1).
>
>      A decision given (usually in writing) by a Mufti or other Muslim juridical authority.
>
> 1625   S. Purchas Pilgrimes II. ix. 1608   Fetfa's that is, Declarations, or Iudgements of the Muftee.
> 1704   J. Trapp Abra-Mulév. i. 2000   In less than half an hour, The black deposing Fetfa will be sign'd.
> 1803   F. W. Blagdon Paris as it Was II. lxviii. 334   A fetfa or diploma of the Grand Signior.
> 1836   E. W. Lane Acct. Manners & Customs Mod. Egyptians I. iv. 134   The Na′ib..desires the plaintiff to procure a fet′wa (or judicial decision) from the Moof′tee.
> 1882   Times 5 Apr. 9/4   The fetwa from the great Mahomedan Academy will be awaited with curiosity.

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