كاهن

See also: کاهن

Arabic

Etymology

Derived from the active participle of كَهَنَ (kahana, to predict the future), from the root ك ه ن (k-h-n). Compare Hebrew כּוֹהֵן (kôhēn), Ugaritic 𐎋𐎅𐎐 (khn), Aramaic כָּהֲנָא (kāhănā) and Phoenician 𐤊𐤄𐤍 (khn), Ge'ez ካህን (kahn), Classical Syriac ܟܗܢܐ.

Noun

كَاهِن (kāhin) m (plural كَاهِنُونَ (kāhinūna) or كُهَّان (kuhhān) or كَهَنَة (kahana), feminine كَاهِنَة (kāhina))

  1. diviner, soothsayer, prognosticator, fortuneteller, augur, forecaster
    Synonym: عَرَّاف (ʿarrāf)
    • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 69:40-42:
      إِنَّهُ لَقَوْلُ رَسُولٍ كَرِيمٍ ۝ وَمَا هُوَ بِقَوْلِ شَاعِرٍ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَّا تُؤْمِنُونَ ۝ وَلَا بِقَوْلِ كَاهِنٍ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ ۝
      ʾinnahu laqawlu rasūlin karīmin ۝ wamā huwa biqawli šāʿirin qalīlan mmā tuʾminūna ۝ walā biqawli kāhinin qalīlan mmā taḏakkarūna ۝
      (please add an English translation of this quote)
  2. (religion, Christianity) priest, father, chaplain, rector, prebend, clergyman, vicar, dominie, curate
    Synonyms: قِسِّيس (qissīs), أَب (ʾab)

Usage notes

  • Though كاهِن (kāhin) is used in a neutral fashion among Christians, it is certainly a very negative word among Muslims, associated with heathen practices. Therefore also Christians tend to prefer the term قِسِّيس (qissīs)

Declension

Derived terms

  • سَجْع الْكُهَّان m (sajʿ al-kuhhān, noun)
  • كَهَنُوت (kahanūt)

Descendants

  • Persian: کاهن
  • Swahili: kuhani
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