Warka
/ˈwɑːr.kə/noun
Warka is the modern Arabic name for the ancient Mesopotamian city of Uruk in southern Iraq.
Did you know?Uruk, identified with Warka, is associated with some of the earliest known writing and with the legendary epic hero Gilgamesh.
Etymological Timeline
Late 4th millennium BCE
Sumerian
Unug
“The Sumerian name of the city later known as Uruk and Warka.”
3rd millennium BCE
Akkadian
Uruk
“The Akkadian form of the city’s name, used in Mesopotamian royal and administrative records.”
1st millennium BCE
Hebrew
אֶרֶךְ (Erech)
“The biblical form of the city name, traditionally associated with Uruk.”
Classical and Late Antique periods
Greek/Aramaic
Orchoë / Warka
“Greek and Aramaic forms preserving the ancient city-name tradition.”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
al-Warkāʾ
“The Arabic name for the ruins and settlement identified with ancient Uruk.”
Modern English
English
Warka
“A historical and archaeological name for the ancient city-site in Iraq.”