Qur'an
/kʊˈrɑːn/noun
The central sacred scripture of Islam, regarded by Muslims as the revealed word of God.
Did you know?The Arabic name emphasizes oral performance: early Qur'anic revelation was recited aloud and memorized before the text was compiled into a codex.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*q-r-ʾ
“A reconstructed Semitic root associated with calling out, reading, or reciting.”
Pre-Islamic Arabic
Arabic
qaraʾa
“To read, recite, or proclaim aloud.”
7th Century
Qur'anic Arabic
qurʾān
“Recitation or proclamation; the term used for the revealed recitations.”
7th Century
Arabic
al-Qurʾān
“The Recitation, referring to the body of revelations delivered to Muhammad.”
12th Century
Middle English
Alcoran
“An early European form of the Arabic name, transmitted through Old French and Latin.”
Modern English
English
Qur'an
“The standard English transliteration for Islam's sacred scripture; Koran is a traditional variant.”