Hakim
/həˈkiːm/noun
A Muslim ruler, judge, or physician, especially in historical or South Asian contexts.
Did you know?Al-Ḥakīm, meaning “The All-Wise,” is one of the traditional 99 names of God in Islam; the same Arabic root also produced words connected with judgment and wisdom.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ḥ-k-m
“A reconstructed Semitic root associated with wisdom, judgment, and ruling.”
Ancient Arabic
Arabic
ḥakama
“To judge, govern, restrain, or decide.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
ḥakīm
“Wise, learned, judicious; also a wise person or physician.”
7th Century
Quranic Arabic
al-Ḥakīm
““The All-Wise,” an epithet of God in the Quran.”
Medieval Period
Arabic/Persian
ḥakīm
“A learned authority, physician, philosopher, or ruler.”
17th–18th Century
English
hakim
“A title for a Muslim ruler, judge, or physician, adopted from Arabic through contact with the Islamic world.”
Modern English
English
hakim
“A historical or regional title for a Muslim ruler, judge, or traditional physician.”