How to say "holy" in Arabic
CognateMeaningholy
Arabic · Modern Standard Arabic
muqaddasמקדס
مقدس
Hebrew · Modern Hebrew
kadoshكَادُوش
How the two words are related
Same Semitic root, same meaning — you already know this word.
Arabic root
ق-د-سHebrew root
ק-ד-שThe root q-d-s is sacred in both languages: מקודש and muqaddas are twins. Arabs call Jerusalem al-Quds, from the same root as בית המקדש — which Arabic itself once echoed as Bayt al-Maqdis.
Related Hebrew word:מקודשmekudashمِكُودَاش
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In a phrase
Jerusalem is a holy city.
The root family
ق-د-سק-ד-ש· holiness
The holiness root, shared sound for sound. Arabic calls Jerusalem al-Quds, "the Holy" — precisely Hebrew's עיר הקודש — and the sanctifying verbs match stem for stem: qaddasa is the piel קידש. Hebrew's קידוש over wine and the Arabic church quddās (Mass) are two liturgies drawn from one Semitic well.
- اَلْقُدْس al-qudsJerusalem — literally "the Holy"הַקֹּדֶשׁthe holy — as in עיר הקודש
- مُقَدَّس muqaddasholy, sacredמְקֻדָּשׁsanctified
- قَدَّسَ qaddasahe sanctifiedקִדֵּשׁhe sanctified
- قُدَّاس quddāsMass (church service)קִדּוּשׁkiddush — a cousin sanctification
- قُدْسِيّ qudsīsacred; of Jerusalem