Arabic nomenclature

From Naming Names

The tughra (calligraphic signature) of an Ottoman sultan. Topkapı Palace, Istanbul, Turkey.

Arabic nomenclature refers to the naming conventions and customs of the Arabs. Traditional Arabic names, originating amongst the tribal societies of the early Arabs, were based on a long naming system that would describe, amongst other things, a person's lineage and the tribe they belonged to. This system is still in use throughout the Arab world, although due to Westernization, many countries have adopted the conventional given/middle/family name structure found in most English-speaking and European countries.

Because of the importance of the Arabic language in Islam, a large majority of the world's Muslims also use Arabic first names, although it is not common outside the Arab world to employ the full Arabic name structure described below.

[edit] History

[edit] Arabic name structure

[edit] Ism (اسم)

For a list of isms, see the list of Arabic given names.

The main name of an Arab is their ism, the Arabic equivalent to a given name. This is generally the name used to address a family member or friend. Most isms originate from ordinary Arabic words, generally with a favourable meaning (e.g. Kareem, "generous" and Amina, "truthful"). As some names are words used in regular language, Arab newspapers sometimes place names in brackets or between quotation marks for clarification.

Though most Arab names are not tied to a particular religion, there are certain exceptions. Muhammad and compound names beginning with 'abd (e.g. Abdullah) are generally considered to be Islamic names, and are almost exclusively used by Muslims. Arab Christians, on the other hand, commonly use Arabic versions of Christian saint names (e.g. Boutros). Also, the adopting of European given names has been a centuries-long convention for Christian Arabs. Thus, names such as George Habash or Charles Helou are not unusual.

[edit] Kunya (كنية)

Often, a kunya referring to the person's first-born son is used as a substitute for the ism (e.g. Abu Uthman, "father of Uthman" or Umm Uthman, "mother of Uthman"). In some cases both a kunya and an ism are used, in which case the kunya will precede the ism (as in the above example). A kunya may also refer to the person's first-born daughter, though this is less common. In some cases, the kunya may not refer to an actual child of the bearer, but to something else either very dear to or commonly associated with them (such as Abu Hurairah, "father of the cat").

[edit] Nasab (نسب)

The nasab is a patronymic or series of patronymics. It indicates the person's heritage via the word ibn (sometimes bin) which means "son", or bint "daughter". Thus ibn Muhammad in the above example means "son of Muhammad" (Muhammad is the father's ism, or proper name). Several nasab can follow in a chain, to trace a person's ancestry backwards in time. This was important in the tribal society of the ancient Arabs, both for purposes of identification and for social and political interaction.

[edit] Laqab (لقب)

A person's laqab describes one of their (usually positive) attributes or qualities. For example, al-Rashid means "the righteous" and al-Jamil means "the beautiful". A laqab is typically written before the nasab when both are present, although it is not entirely uncommon for them to be the other way around (i.e. nasab first, followed by laqab). However, the second alternative may lead to confusion as the laqab could possibly be interpreted as belonging to the father.

[edit] Nisba (نسبة)

The nisba, among all the components of an Arabic name, is perhaps the one most closley resembling the family name or surname of Western culture (and as such is often the one used when westernizing Arabic names). Like most family names across the world, the nisba is usually derived from a placename or occupation. A nisba will follow a family through several generations, and it is for example common to find people with the name al-Masri (meaning "of Egypt") in many places in the Middle East, despite the fact that their families may have resided outside of Egypt for several generations.

[edit] Westernization and Arabic names

Many Arabic countries have adopted or partially-adopted the European naming system for government use. This is already the case in Lebanon and other Maghreb (North African) countries, where French conventions are followed, but it is rapidly gaining ground elsewhere.

On a personal level, many Arabs, when residing in or visiting Western countries, adapt to the local conventions for practical purposes or for official documents. This generally involves shortening their complete Arabic name to fit the given name/family name model. (Often, the nasab, without ibn/bint prefix, is used as a middle name.) The reverse side to this is the surprise of many Westerners when asked to supply their first name, second name, father's name and family name in some Arab visa applications.

The Westernization of an Arabic name naturally requires transliteration into the Latin alphabet. Often, the same name may be transliterated in several different ways (e.g. Abdullah vs Abdallah vs 'Abd Allah), as there is no single accepted system. Furthermore, a single individual may try out several different ways of transliterating their name, producing even greater inconsistency. This has resulted in confusion on the part of governments, particularly security agencies, and official documentation.

[edit] Common mistakes