برزخ

Arabic

Etymology

From Parthian *bwrz-ʾxw (/⁠burz-axw⁠/, “height, unsurmountable passage”), from Parthian bwrz (/⁠burz⁠/, “high”) + ʾxw (/⁠axw⁠/, “world”).

Noun

بَرْزَخ • (barzaḵ) m (plural بَرَازِخ (barāziḵ))

1. separation, partition
   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 55:20:

     بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخٌۭ لَّا يَبْغِيَانِ

     baynahumā barzaḵun lā yabġiyāni
     Between them is a barrier [so] neither of them transgresses.

2. (religion, including Islam) netherworld; barzakh; hades; purgatory (otherworldly existence, generally temporal, which may include elements of punishment and/or reward)
3. (geography) isthmus

Declension

Declension of noun بَرْزَخ (barzaḵ)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	بَرْزَخ barzaḵ	الْبَرْزَخ al-barzaḵ	بَرْزَخ barzaḵ
Nominative	بَرْزَخٌ barzaḵun	الْبَرْزَخُ al-barzaḵu	بَرْزَخُ barzaḵu
Accusative	بَرْزَخًا barzaḵan	الْبَرْزَخَ al-barzaḵa	بَرْزَخَ barzaḵa
Genitive	بَرْزَخٍ barzaḵin	الْبَرْزَخِ al-barzaḵi	بَرْزَخِ barzaḵi
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	بَرْزَخَيْن barzaḵayn	الْبَرْزَخَيْن al-barzaḵayn	بَرْزَخَيْ barzaḵay
Nominative	بَرْزَخَانِ barzaḵāni	الْبَرْزَخَانِ al-barzaḵāni	بَرْزَخَا barzaḵā
Accusative	بَرْزَخَيْنِ barzaḵayni	الْبَرْزَخَيْنِ al-barzaḵayni	بَرْزَخَيْ barzaḵay
Genitive	بَرْزَخَيْنِ barzaḵayni	الْبَرْزَخَيْنِ al-barzaḵayni	بَرْزَخَيْ barzaḵay
Plural	basic broken plural diptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	بَرَازِخ barāziḵ	الْبَرَازِخ al-barāziḵ	بَرَازِخ barāziḵ
Nominative	بَرَازِخُ barāziḵu	الْبَرَازِخُ al-barāziḵu	بَرَازِخُ barāziḵu
Accusative	بَرَازِخَ barāziḵa	الْبَرَازِخَ al-barāziḵa	بَرَازِخَ barāziḵa
Genitive	بَرَازِخَ barāziḵa	الْبَرَازِخِ al-barāziḵi	بَرَازِخِ barāziḵi

Synonyms

• (temporal otherworldly existence): قَبْر (qabr) (Islam); مَطْهَر (maṭhar) (Christianity)

Related terms

• حَاجِز (ḥājiz)

References

• Cheung, Johnny (2017) On the (Middle) Iranian borrowings in Qurʾānic (and pre-Islamic) Arabic‎^[1], Leiden: Leiden University, pages 4–5
• ابن منظور. «برزخ»، لسان العرب.

Persian

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic بَرْزَخ (barzaḵ), from Parthian *bwrz-ʾxw (/⁠burz-axw⁠/), from Parthian bwrz (/⁠burz⁠/, “high”) + ʾxw (/⁠axw⁠/, “world”).

Noun

برزخ • (barzax)

1. (Islam) barzakh
2. limbo
3. purgatory
4. (geography) isthmus