كربلاء
Arabic
Alternative forms
- كَرْبَلَا (karbalā)
Etymology
Etymology uncertain. Many theories exist, some of which are:[1][2]
- Blend of كَرْب (karb, “distress”) + بَلَاء (balāʾ, “calamity”)
- كَرْبَلَة (karbala, “flaccid, loose, soft”), in reference to its soil.
- كَرْبَل (karbal, “Rumex plant”), due to its existence there
- Akkadian 𒆪𒉡𒀭 (“Near God, close to God”) (𒆪𒉡 (qarābu) + 𒀭 (ilu))
- Persian کار بالا (“Deed up risen”)
- كُوَر (kuwar, “Villages”) + بابِلِ (bābili, “of Babylon”), due to its proximity to them.
- كَرْبَلَ (karbala, “to purify, to clean”)
Proper noun
كَرْبَلَاء • (karbalāʾ) f
- Karbala, a city in Iraq, holy to Shia Muslims as the site of the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali
- Synonyms: الطَّف (aṭ-ṭaf), الحائِر (al-ḥāʾir), النَّوَاوِيس (an-nawāwīs), الغاضِرِيَّة (al-ḡāḍiriyya)
Usage notes
According to al-Afghani, the hamza at the end was not pronounced at first and was added later.
Declension
Declension of noun كَرْبَلَاء (karbalāʾ)
| Singular | basic singular diptote | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Indefinite | Definite | Construct | |
| Informal | — | كَرْبَلَاء karbalāʾ | — |
| Nominative | — | كَرْبَلَاءُ karbalāʾu | — |
| Accusative | — | كَرْبَلَاءَ karbalāʾa | — |
| Genitive | — | كَرْبَلَاءَ karbalāʾa | — |
References
- al-Qummi, Ja'far ibn Qūlawayh (2008), Sayyid Mohsen al-Husaini al-Mīlāni, transl., Kāmil al-Ziyārāt, Shiabooks.ca Press, page 545
- كربلاء|archive=http://web.archive.org/web/20170204085335/http://arabic.irib.ir/islamic/show/item/2369