Dirasah
/diˈraː.sah/noun
An Arabic term meaning study, learning, or an academic investigation, often used in English discussions of Islamic scholarship.
Did you know?Dirasah comes from the Arabic root d-r-s, a Semitic root associated with studying and instruction; the related Hebrew root produced the word Midrash.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*drš
“To seek, inquire, investigate, or pursue knowledge; the reconstructed ancestor of related Semitic scholarly terms.”
Ancient Hebrew
Hebrew
דָּרַשׁ (dāraš)
“To seek, inquire, interpret, or study; the source of the English loanword Midrash.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
دَرَسَ (darasa)
“He studied or learned; the verb associated with instruction and academic learning.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
دِرَاسَة (dirāsah)
“Study, learning, or investigation; a noun formed from the root d-r-s.”
Modern English
English
dirasah
“A transliterated Arabic loanword used especially in academic, religious, and Islamic-studies contexts.”