(no subject)
Abu, Ibn, and Bin, Oh My!
Last week, the Explainer went over the meaning of "al-" in Arabic names. Many readers wrote in to ask about the words that appear in names like Hind ibn Sheik, Osama Bin Laden, and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. What's the deal with ibn, bin, and abu?
In Arabic names, both ibn and bin can be translated as "son of." Osama bin Laden means "Osama, son of Laden." It's not uncommon for names to include references to three or four generations of ancestors, each offset with bin or ibn.
So, why do some names use bin while others use ibn?
Roy Scheider, of 'Jaws' fame, dies at 75
Last week, the Explainer went over the meaning of "al-" in Arabic names. Many readers wrote in to ask about the words that appear in names like Hind ibn Sheik, Osama Bin Laden, and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. What's the deal with ibn, bin, and abu?
In Arabic names, both ibn and bin can be translated as "son of." Osama bin Laden means "Osama, son of Laden." It's not uncommon for names to include references to three or four generations of ancestors, each offset with bin or ibn.
So, why do some names use bin while others use ibn?
Roy Scheider, of 'Jaws' fame, dies at 75