How to say "government" in Arabic
Shifted meaningMeaninggovernment
Arabic · Modern Standard Arabic
ḥukūmaחכומה
حكومة
Hebrew · Modern Hebrew
memshalaمِمْشَالَا
How the two words are related
Same root as a Hebrew word, but the meaning drifted over the centuries.
Arabic root
ح-ك-مHebrew root
ח-כ-םSame root as חכם: Semitic ḥ-k-m covers both wisdom and judgment. Hebrew kept the sage; Arabic promoted him — ḥākim is a ruler, ḥukm a verdict, and ḥukūma the government that issues both.
Related Hebrew word:חכםkhakhamخَاخَام
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In a phrase
the new government
Plural
Sound feminine plural -āt, the Arabic cousin of Hebrew ־וֹת.
The root family
ح-ك-مח-כ-ם· judgment, wisdom
One root, two career paths: Hebrew took wisdom (חכם, חכמה), Arabic took power — ḥukm is a ruling, ḥukūma the government, maḥkama the court. But the older shared sense survives untouched in Arabic ḥakīm "sage" and ḥikma "wisdom", which sit letter-perfect beside חכם and חכמה.
- حُكُومَة ḥukūmagovernment
- حَكَمَ ḥakamahe ruled, judgedחָכַםhe grew wise — ruling vs. knowing
- حُكْم ḥukmruling, judgment, verdict
- حِكْمَة ḥikmawisdomחָכְמָהwisdom — the same word
- حَكِيم ḥakīmwise man, sage (colloquially: doctor)חָכָםwise; a sage
- مَحْكَمَة maḥkamacourt of law