Qiraat
/kɪˈrɑːt/noun
The recognized variant readings or recitation traditions of the Qur’an.
Did you know?The canonical qiraat preserve historically transmitted differences in Qur’anic pronunciation, vocalization, and recitation style rather than competing books or separate scriptures.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*q-r-ʾ
“A reconstructed root associated with calling out, reciting, or reading aloud”
Pre-Islamic Arabic
Arabic
qaraʾa
“To read or recite aloud”
7th Century
Classical Arabic
qirāʾa
“A reading or recitation, especially of revealed scripture”
8th–10th Centuries
Arabic
qirāʾāt
“Readings or recitation traditions of the Qur’an; the plural form became the technical term”
19th–20th Centuries
English
qiraat / qira’at
“An English loanword for the established Qur’anic reading traditions”