كاهن

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See also: کاهن and کاہن

Arabic

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Etymology

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

Noun

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

  1. diviner, soothsayer, prognosticator, fortune-teller, augur, forecaster
    Synonym: عَرَّاف (ʕarrāf)
    • 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 ۝
      40 These are the words of a noble messenger. 41 They are not the sayings of a poet. How little you believe! 42 They are not the sayings of a diviner. How seldom you remember!
  2. (religion, Christianity) priest
    Synonym: قِسِّيس (qissīs)

Declension

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Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • Azerbaijani: kahin
  • Chagatai: کاهن
  • Ottoman Turkish: كاهن
  • Persian: کاهن (kâhen)
  • Swahili: kuhani
  • Urdu: کاہِن (kāhin)