كركم

Arabic

كُرْكُم

كُرْكُم

Alternative forms

• كُرْكُب (kurkub)

Etymology

Semitic cognates include Aramaic כּוּרְכְּמָא, ܟܽܘܪܟܡܳܐ (kurkmā), Akkadian 𒌑𒆪𒄀𒆸𒈾 (/⁠kurkanū⁠/), Hebrew כַּרְכֹּם / כַּרְכֹּום (karkom); however because of non-philological evidence it is a preferred assumption that the Arabic word comes via India, from Sanskrit कुङ्कुम (kuṅkuma).

Akin to Middle Persian [Book Pahlavi needed] (kwlkwm /⁠kurkum⁠/), Old Armenian քրքում (kʻrkʻum), Old Georgian ქურქუმაჲ (kurkumay), Ancient Greek κρόκος (krókos).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kur.kum/

Noun

كُرْكُم • (kurkum) m

1. Curcuma and especially Curcuma longa, turmeric, Indian saffron
2. curcumin

Declension

Declension of noun كُرْكُم (kurkum)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	كُرْكُم kurkum	الْكُرْكُم al-kurkum	كُرْكُم kurkum
Nominative	كُرْكُمٌ kurkumun	الْكُرْكُمُ al-kurkumu	كُرْكُمُ kurkumu
Accusative	كُرْكُمًا kurkuman	الْكُرْكُمَ al-kurkuma	كُرْكُمَ kurkuma
Genitive	كُرْكُمٍ kurkumin	الْكُرْكُمِ al-kurkumi	كُرْكُمِ kurkumi

References

• Levey, Martin (1973) Early Arabic Pharmacology. An Introduction Based on Ancient and Medieval Sources, Leiden: Brill, pages 61–62
• “kwrkm”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
• Shulman, David (2016) Tamil: A biography, Harvard University Press, →ISBN, page 20
• Ciancaglini, Claudia A. (2008) Iranian loanwords in Syriac (Beiträge zur Iranistik; 28)‎^[1], Wiesbaden: Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, page 194