Qari
/ˈkɑː.riː/noun
A person who recites the Quran, especially one trained in its traditional pronunciation and melodic delivery.
Did you know?The word belongs to the same Arabic root as Quran, whose name is traditionally connected with the act of reciting or proclaiming aloud.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Islamic Arabic
Arabic
q-r-ʾ
“A consonantal root associated with reading, reciting, or gathering words together.”
7th Century
Quranic Arabic
qāriʾ
“A reciter or reader, especially one who recites revealed scripture aloud.”
7th–10th Centuries
Classical Arabic
qāriʾ al-Qurʾān
“A specialist in reciting the Quran according to established rules of pronunciation and vocal delivery.”
19th–20th Centuries
English
qari
“A borrowed term for a Quranic reciter, used in English writing about Islamic religious practice.”
Modern English
English
Qari
“A Quran reciter, often one recognized for mastery of tajwid, the rules governing Quranic pronunciation.”