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Question
#38949. gmackematix
asks:
Why are the names of Qatar and Iraq, presumably transcribed from Arabic, spelt with a Q?
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shady shaker
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G'day Gmack!! According to Brewer's Dictionary of
Names, both these countries get their titles from
Arabic roots as you suggest. To quote directly:
"IRAQ The Arabic name of the Middle East country
is al-'iraq, perhaps meaning 'the bank', with
reference to the basin of the rivers Tigris and
Euphrates".
"QATAR. The Arabian state probably derives its
name from the same Arabic root as 'qatura', mean-
ing 'to exude', from 'qatrun', 'tar', 'resin' and
perhaps relates to the country's rich resources of
petroleum and natural gas."
I hope this is helpful. If memory serves, the
letter 'q' originated from the Arabic, but don't
quote me on it!!
Sep 20 03, 4:02 AM
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mibmob
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THe q is not really pronounced as a q at least in the name Qatar. It is a sort of glottle stop.
Sep 20 03, 9:21 AM
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Gnomon
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The Q is used to represent a sound which does not occur in English. THis is a k made with the tongue pressing against the soft palate rather than the hard palate. You say a k but further back in your mouth.
THis is original sound for the letter Q and Q has been used for this sound since 1000 BC,(in the original Phoenician alphabet) a long time before we adapted the letter to be a 'kw' sound.
Sep 20 03, 6:37 PM
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