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An infidel (literally "unfaithful") is a person who is accused of disbelief in the central tenets of one's own religion, such as members of another religion, or irreligious people. [ 1 ] [ 2 ]
This is a list of Latin words with derivatives in English (and other modern languages). Ancient orthography did not distinguish between i and j or between u and v. [1] Many modern works distinguish u from v but not i from j. In this article, both distinctions are shown as they are helpful when tracing the origin of English words.
The word kāfir is the active participle of the verb كَفَرَ, kafara, from root ك-ف-ر K-F-R. [11] As a pre-Islamic term it described farmers burying seeds in the ground. One of its applications in the Quran has also the same meaning as farmer. [35]
Giaour (a Turkish adaptation of the Persian gâwr or gōr, an infidel), a word used by the Turks to describe all who are not Mohammedans, with especial reference to Christians. The word, first employed as a term of contempt and reproach, has become so general that in most cases no insult is intended in its use; for example in parts of China ...
Kaffir (/ ˈ k æ f ər /), [1] also spelled Cafri, is an exonym and an ethnic slur – the use of it in reference to black people being particularly common in South Africa.In Arabic, the word kāfir ("unbeliever") was originally applied to non-Muslims before becoming predominantly focused on pagan zanj (black African) who were increasingly used as slaves. [2]
I actually disagree with the notion that "infidel" is associated with Islam, neither past nor present, or that it is an accurate translation of an Islamic term like "kafir." I am not a linguist, but I know of no Islamic or Arabic word which could readily be translated as infidel, a word which is specifically Christian in origin and usage.
The Online Etymology Dictionary or Etymonline, sometimes abbreviated as OED (not to be confused with the Oxford English Dictionary, which the site often cites), is a free online dictionary that describes the origins of English words, written and compiled by Douglas R. Harper. [1]
The Biblical Hebrew word goy has been commonly translated into English as nation, [7] [8] meaning a group of persons of the same ethnic family who speak the same language (rather than the more common modern meaning of a political unit). [9] In the Bible, goy is used to describe both the Nation of Israel and other nations.