Why are the names of Qatar and Iraq, presumably transcribed from Arabic, spelt with a Q?

shady shaker

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

mibmob

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

Gnomon

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

gmackematix

I thang-Q. Sep 21 03, 9:55 PM

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