Istidāʾ
/ɪstɪˈdɑːʔ/noun
An Arabic-derived term meaning a request, petition, or formal summons.
Did you know?Istidāʾ belongs to the same Arabic root family as duʿāʾ, the word for supplication or prayer, linking formal requests with acts of calling upon a higher power.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ḏʕw
“To call, summon, or invoke”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
دعا (daʿā)
“He called, summoned, or invoked”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
استدعى (istadʿā)
“He requested, summoned, or caused someone to be called”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
استدعاء (istidʿāʾ)
“A request, summons, or formal calling”
Modern English
English
istidāʾ
“A transliterated Arabic term for a petition, request, or summons”