Nusra
/ˈnʊs.rə/noun
An English transliteration of the Arabic word nuṣra, meaning help or victory, and a name used in the title of an Islamist militant organization.
Did you know?The name Jabhat al-Nusra, founded in Syria in 2012, means roughly “the Front of Support” or “the Front for Victory,” drawing on a deeply rooted Arabic word for divine or military assistance.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*n-ṣ-r
“Reconstructed root associated with helping, protecting, or giving victory”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
naṣara (نَصَرَ)
“He helped, aided, or granted victory”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
nuṣra (نُصْرَة)
“Help, aid, support, or victory”
7th Century
Quranic Arabic
naṣr (نَصْر)
“Help or victory, especially assistance granted by God”
2012
English/Arabic
Jabhat al-Nuṣra
“The Nusra Front, an Islamist militant organization formed during the Syrian civil war”
Modern English
English
Nusra
“A transliterated Arabic term and shorthand reference to the Nusra Front”