Mahkama
/məˈkɑːmə/noun
A court, tribunal, or governmental office in a Muslim country or South Asian administrative context.
Did you know?Mahkama belongs to the same Arabic word-family as *ḥukm*, meaning judgment or command, and *ḥākim*, historically a ruler or judge—language linking law, wisdom, and power.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Islamic Arabic
Arabic
ḥakama
“To judge, decide, govern, or restrain”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
ḥukm
“Judgment, legal decision, command, or authority”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
maḥkama
“A place or institution where judgment is delivered; a court”
Ottoman and Persianate usage
Arabic-derived forms
mahkama / mahkeme
“Court, tribunal, or judicial office”
Medieval–Early Modern South Asia
Urdu/Hindustani
mahkama
“Government department, office, or court”
Modern English
English
mahkama
“A court or administrative office, chiefly in historical, colonial, or South Asian contexts”