Barack, also spelled Barak or Baraq, is a given name of Arabic origin. From the Semitic root B-R-K, it means "blessed" and is most commonly used in its feminine form Baraka(h).
The Semitic root B-R-K has the original meaning of "to kneel down", with a secondary meaning "to bless".[1]: p.121
In Islamic mysticism, Barakah (Arabic: بركة) is a concept of spiritual presence or revelation. The cognate Hebrew term is Berakhah (בְּרָכָה) "benediction, blessing" which is related to the Biblical Hebrew given name Baruch (Hebrew: בָּרוּךְ, Modern: Barukh, Tiberian: Bārûḵ, "blessed"). It can also be derived from the root B-R-Q (Hebrew: ב־ר־ק; Arabic: ب-ر-ق), meaning "lightning".
The Arabic masculine given name Mubarak is the Arabic stem III passive participle, mubārak (مبارك), meaning "blessed (one)".
The name is cognate with the Amharic given name ብሩክ ("Biruk").
People with the given name
edit- Barack Adama (born 1985), a French rapper
- Barack Obama (born 1961), former US president
- Barack Obama Sr. (1936–1982), father of Barack Obama and Kenyan economist
People with the surname
edit- Ghiyas-ud-din Baraq (1266–1271), a Khan of the Chagatai Khanate
- Moisés Barack (1943–2024), a Peruvian footballer
Fictional characters
edit- The protagonist of Barack the Barbarian, a comic book series
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Murtonen, Aimo (1986). Hospers, J.H. (ed.). Hebrew in its West Semitic setting: a comparative survey of non-Masoretic Hebrew dialects and traditions. Leiden: E.J. Brill. ISBN 9789004088993.
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