ختن

See also: جبن and خ ت ن

Arabic

Root
خ ت ن (ḵ-t-n)

Etymology

Inherited noun from Proto-Semitic *ḫatan- (son-in-law). Thereof the base stem was formed in the sense of a causative “to have a bridegroom”; the active part خَاتِن (ḵātin) being the father-in-law and a circumciser: though we cannot answer at this place the ancient history of circumcision in detail, nor will anyone on the internet without great animosity, apparently from the occasion of taking a wife a man’s prepuce was considered less necessary, hence the making eligible was equated with circumcising. The other meanings given by the lexicographic tradition of “outwitting, circumventing” and “cutting around or truncating” probably don’t point to an original word in meanings of going around or cutting around but are rather vulgarities punning upon the practice of circumcision; see also our explanation of عَرُوب (ʕarūb).

Verb

خَتَنَ • (ḵatana) I, non-past يَخْتِنُ‎ (yaḵtinu)

  1. to circumcise
  2. (obsolete) to give a feast or banquet for on account of wedding or circumcision
  3. (obsolete) to delude, to outwit, to circumvent (as خَدَعَ (ḵadaʕa) and خَتَلَ (ḵatala))
  4. (obsolete) to truncate, to cut parts off around, to diminish

Conjugation

Noun

خَتْن • (ḵatn) m

  1. verbal noun of خَتَنَ (ḵatana) (form I)
  2. circumcision

Declension

Noun

خَتَن • (ḵatan) m (plural أَخْتَان (ʔaḵtān), feminine خَتَنَة (ḵatana) or خَتْنَة (ḵatna))

  1. (archaic) a man being related through marriage (son-in-law or brother-in-law or father-in-law or bridegroom)

Declension

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