العراق

Ultimate origin uncertain.

Medieval Arabic geographic understanding of this toponym included the areas in the south and center of modern Iraq. This may be understood as the definite form of عِرَاق (ʕirāq, “shore, coast, any region or area (of a whole country or a mere rivulet in a garden) adjacent to water as opposed to another one”), perhaps to distinguish it from الْجَزِيرَة (al-jazīra, “the Arabian Peninsula”) (contrast Classical Syriac ܓܙܺܝܪܬܴ݁ܐ (gəzīrtā, “Mesopotamia”)). Alternatively, it is tempting to connect it with Middle Persian [script needed] (ˀyrg /⁠ērag⁠/) or [script needed] (ˀl'k' /⁠erāg⁠/, “lowlands”),^[1] like 𐭠𐭩𐭥𐭠𐭭 (ʾyrʾn /⁠ērān⁠/, “Iran”), with diminutive suffix from 𐭠𐭩𐭫 (ʾyl /⁠ēr⁠/, “Iranian”), referring to historic rule from Iraq’s plateau-situated neighbor, Persia. The former Pahlavi term is more similar in form to a Jewish Babylonian Aramaic incantation bowl which reads אירג (ʔyrg /⁠*ērag⁠/), the oldest known attestation of the country name, also covering the neighboring region.^[2] The Aramaic language continuum may have had a pharyngealized byform of the other vocalization, as also seen in عِرْنَاس (ʕirnās, “distaff”) and عَمْرُوسَة (ʕamrūsa, “small lamb”).

The sometimes suggested connection to Akkadian 𒌷𒀕 (/⁠uruk⁠/, “Uruk”) is unfounded and unlikely on phonetic grounds.

• IPA^(key): /al.ʕi.raːq/
• Rhymes: -aːq

الْعِرَاق • (al-ʕirāq) m or f

1. Iraq (a country in Asia)

• The definite article ال (al-) is indispensable.
• Unlike the majority of country names, الْعِرَاق (al-ʕirāq) is usually a masculine noun.

• عِرَاقِيّ (ʕirāqiyy)
• عِرَاقِيَّة (ʕirāqiyya)

From Arabic الْعِرَاق (al-ʕirāq).

• IPA^(key): /lɪʕraːɡ/, /ɪlɪʕraːɡ/

العراق • (li-ʕrāg) f

1. Iraq (a country in Asia)

• عراقي (ʕrāgi, “Iraqi”)

From Arabic الْعِرَاق (al-ʕirāq).

• IPA^(key): /al.ʕi.raːɡ/, [alʕɪraːɡ]

العِراق • (alʕirāg) f

1. Iraq (a country in Asia)

• This is one of the country names which requires the definite article ال.

• عراقي (ʕirāgi, “Iraqi”) (masculine)
• عراقيَّة (ʕirāgiyya, “Iraqi”) (feminine)

Learned borrowing from Arabic الْعِرَاق (al-ʕirāq).

• IPA^(key): /il.ʕi.raːq/, [ɪl.ʕɪˈrˤɑːq]

• Audio (Ramallah):

  (file)

العراق • (il-ʕirāq) m

1. Iraq (a country in Asia)

• عراقي (ʕirāqi, “Iraqi”)