Hakim

/hɑːˈkiːm/ noun

Definition

An Arabic word for a wise man, physician, or ruler; used in Middle Eastern and South Asian cultures.

Etymology

From Arabic 'ḥakīm' (wise man), from 'ḥakama' (to judge/decide). The word entered English through colonial contact with Islamic and Indian cultures in the 19th-20th centuries.

Kelly Says

A hakim was originally a judge who ruled based on wisdom, then it became a title for physicians in Middle Eastern medicine—because healing, like judging, was seen as requiring deep wisdom.

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