Talk:Abd (Arabic)

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hmm...im an arabic speaking american and im sure that Abd means servant.--The Fear 23:50, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Abd DOES mean slave

This Arabic word means slave, a person who is owned by another. When it is used in a name, it is usually a prefix to one of Allah's 99 holy names in Islam or sometimes other terms referring to God or respected figures (such as Abd El Rasool, which literally means slave of the Prophet.)In this context, it may mean servant or follower, but the literal meaning is "slave".

[edit] Regarding Historical Note

The usage cited regarding mainly African slaves strikes me as incorrect - or rather correct for certain time periods, not others. It should be qualified or perhaps omitted since the ethnic information doesn't add much information. One might also note that other terms were used in various regions of the Arab world, such as Khadim, etc. collounsbury 14:19, 19 February 2007 (UTC).