Arabic-L:LING:Iraq

[Dilworth Parkinson]

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Arabic-L: Thu 08 Feb 2007
Moderator: Dilworth Parkinson <dilworth_parkinson at byu.edu>
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-------------------------Directory------------------------------------

1) Subject:Iraq
2) Subject:Iraq
3) Subject:Iraq

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1)
Date: 08 Feb 2007
From:Dan Parvaz <dparvaz at mac.com>
Subject:Iraq

The translation of "Iran-shahr" as either "land of palm trees" or  
"wasteland" rings hollow to anyone who studies Persian. More to the  
point, the leap from "Iran Shahr" to "Iraq" is a bit far-fetched --  
I'd want to see exactly how that was supposed to happen. I would have  
thought the origins came from "Uruk". That, and other probable  
origins are covered in:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq

-Dan.

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2)
Date: 08 Feb 2007
From: "Robert Ratcliffe" <ratcliffe at tufs.ac.jp>
Subject:Iraq

I am rather amazed that the lexicographers agree in giving this word  
a foreign origin, given the `ain which, obviously, is not found in  
Persian.

There is also a native etymology, since `iraaq is a possible (though  
not the currently standard) plural of `irq, vein. The reference would  
be to the veinlike network of rivers and canals in the region. I  
happened on this etymology in Mas`udi`s Muruuj adh-dhahab, which has  
a discussion of the etymology of various region names. It may be folk  
etymology, of course. Some of the other etymologies given by Mas`udi,  
like ash-shaam from shaama "birthmark", clearly are.

I wonder if there has been any modern discussion of this, in the  
language academies or elsewhere.

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3)
Date: 08 Feb 2007
From: maabdelw at purdue.edu
Subject:Iraq

My reference for clarifying what "Iraq" means is old people,  
specifically
peasants. Old people mean by the word Iraq a rocky hole or cave that  
provides
protection for people in critical times-flooding, bombing, viloent  
wind. So the
Word Iraq means fortified place. If Iraq means a country rich in palm- 
trees,
the meaning of fortified is still there since palm trees almost  
serves as a
cover that overshadow people on the ground thereby providing some  
sort of
protectiion for them. The meaning of protection or solidness was  
transferred
from rock to palm trees.  Also the other meaning "wasteland" is  
implied since
rocky places are barren-do not provide a source for food.
   Despite the possibility of the second meaning, I see more sense in  
the first
meaning. The meaning that the older generations -grnd mother uncles and
neighbors-used.
  Mohammad

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End of Arabic-L:  08 Feb 2007
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