Qira'at
/qɪˈrɑːʔɑːt/noun
The recognized variant traditions of reciting the Qur'an, including differences in pronunciation, vocalization, and sometimes wording.
Did you know?The canonical qira'at are not random pronunciations: each represents a formally transmitted reading tradition attributed through chains of reciters to the early Islamic period.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*qrʔ
“To read, recite, or proclaim aloud”
7th Century
Classical Arabic
qaraʾa
“He read or recited”
7th–8th Century
Arabic
qirāʾa
“A reading or recitation, especially of scripture”
8th–10th Century
Arabic
qirāʾāt
“Readings or recitation traditions; the plural of qirāʾa”
20th Century
English
qira'at
“The established variant reading traditions of the Qur'an”