Hikmat
/ˈhɪk.mət/noun
Wisdom, philosophy, or sagacity, especially in Islamic, Persian, and South Asian usage.
Did you know?In Islamic philosophy, ḥikmat can mean more than abstract wisdom: it became a technical term for metaphysical knowledge and philosophical insight, especially in traditions such as Illuminationism.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ḥ-k-m
“A root associated with judging, deciding, ruling, and wisdom.”
Ancient Arabic
Arabic
ḥakama
“To judge, govern, restrain, or exercise sound judgment.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
ḥikma
“Wisdom, sound judgment, philosophy, or a wise saying.”
Medieval Persian
Persian
ḥikmat / hikmat
“Wisdom, philosophy, and learned intellectual knowledge.”
Medieval South Asia
Urdu
hikmat
“Wisdom or philosophy; also traditional medical and intellectual knowledge in some contexts.”
Modern English
English
hikmat
“A loanword used chiefly in academic, religious, Persian, Urdu, and Islamic-philosophical contexts for wisdom or philosophy.”