Abd (Arabic)
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Abd (Arabic: عبد) is an Arabic word meaning one who is totally subordinated; a slave or a servant.[1]
It appears in many common Arab names in the liaison with Al (the) form of "Abd ul", "Abd ul-", etc. The names are given in List of Arabic theophoric names and 99 Names of God.
A widespread name ‘Abdullah means "servant of God" or "worshipper of God".
Aside from 99 names of God, it can be associated to other fields, and even prophet Muhammad:
- Abdul Ilah (“slave of divinity” or “servant of divinity”)
- Abd Rabbi-hi (“slave of your Lord” or “servant of your Lord”)
- Abduh (“Your slave” or “Your servant”)
- Abdul Nabi (“slave of the Prophet” or “servant of the Prophet”)
It can also be used by Arab Christians and Arabic-speaking Christians, just as long as it is associated to their religion:
- Abdul Masih (“slave of Messiah” or “servant of Messiah”)
- Abdul Salib (“slave of the Cross” or “servant of the Cross”)
- Abdul Yasu` (“slave of Jesus” or “servant of Jesus”)
[edit] Further Notes
Abdullah can be also used by Arab Christians, as they refer to God as Allah.
The word Abd is a cognate with the Hebrew word "eved" (עבד), meaning slave[citation needed].
As "abd" means "slave" in Arabic, the word is sometimes used as a pejorative term to refer to black people.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ William Gervase Clarence-Smith (1989). The Economics of the Indian Ocean Slave Trade in the Nineteenth Century. Routledge. p. 47. ISBN 0714633593. http://books.google.com/books?id=9Hfl5rpXM1sC&pg=PA47&ots=yDErOJF9Md&dq=%22abd%22+%22slave%22&ie=ISO-8859-1&output=html&sig=RjMRE8tRvro544ZaBsOd00iuw1Q.