Rooh
/ruː/noun
A soul, spirit, or inner essence, especially in South Asian English and Urdu-influenced usage.
Did you know?Rooh is related to Arabic rūḥ and Hebrew ruach, both of which can mean spirit, breath, or wind—the same invisible force imagined as animating life.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*rūḥ-
“Reconstructed root associated with breath, wind, and spirit”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
ר֫וּחַ (rûaḥ)
“Wind, breath, or divine spirit”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
رُوح (rūḥ)
“Spirit, soul, breath, or life-force”
Medieval Persian
Persian
روح (rūḥ)
“Spirit or soul, borrowed from Arabic”
Medieval Urdu
Urdu
روح (rūh)
“Soul, spirit, or inner essence”
Modern English
English
rooh
“A soul or spirit, chiefly in South Asian English usage”