[lg policy] Arabic for "mankind"

[Haroon Moghul]

The word is "nas," from which derives the word "insan" (person -- *not*
specifically or solely man, since that word is "rajul") and also the word
nisaa (pl., women.)

In another verse in the Qur'an, it is written that God created a human being
from one soul (soul being a feminine word) and from it its mate (mate being
masculine, and/or generic arabic neuter).

On Fri, Jun 5, 2009 at 1:27 PM, Ronald Kephart <rkephart at unf.edu> wrote:

> Folks,
>
> I have a question. In President Obama's Cairo speech, there is this:
>
> > The Holy Koran tells us:  "O mankind!  We have created you male and a
> female;
> > and we have made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one
> > another."
> >
> http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-at-Cairo-U
> > niversity-6-04-09/
>
> What is the Arabic word/phrase that translates as łmankind?˛ And, is it a
> true generic (e.g. Aymara jaqi) or is it a prescribed generic, like English
> man/mankind?
>
> Ron
>
>
>
>
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-- 
Haroon Moghul
Ph.D. Candidate, Columbia University
Middle East and Asian Languages and Cultures

Director of Public Relations,
The Islamic Center at New York University | www.icnyu.org
Phone : 212.998.4712

Weblog : Avari : http://avari.typepad.com/avari
Email : Moghul at gmail.com
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