Ruhiyyat
/ruːˈhiː.jət/noun
Spirituality or the realm of spiritual matters, especially in Urdu usage.
Did you know?Ruhiyyat is built from Arabic rūḥ, “spirit” or “breath,” a concept closely echoed by Hebrew rúaḥ, which likewise means both wind and spirit.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*rūḥ-
“Breath, wind, or animating spirit; a reconstructed Semitic root”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
rūḥ (روح)
“Spirit, soul, breath, or divine life-force”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
rūḥī (روحي)
“Spiritual or pertaining to the spirit”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
rūḥiyyāt (روحيات)
“Spiritual things or matters concerning the spirit”
Early Modern Period
Urdu
rūḥiyyat / روحیت
“Spirituality; the condition or realm of spiritual existence”
Modern English
English
ruhiyyat
“A transliterated South Asian term for spirituality or spiritual matters”