كربلاء

Etymology uncertain. Many theories exist, some of which are:[1][2]:

• كَرْبَلَة‎ (karbala, “flaccid, loose, soft”), in reference to its soil.
• كَرْبَل‎ (karbal, “Rumex plant”), due to its existence there
• Akkadian 𒆪𒉡𒀭 (“Near God, close to God”) (𒆪𒉡 (/qarābu/) +‎ 𒀭 (/ilu/))
• Persian كار بالا‎ (“Deed up risen”)
• كُوَر‎ (kuwar, “Villages”) +‎ بابِلِ‎ (bābili, “of Babylon”), due to its proximity to them.
• كَرْب‎ (karb, “distress”) +‎ بَلَاء‎ (balāʾ, “divine test”)
• كَرْبَلَ‎ (karbala, “to purify, to clean”)

According to al-Afghani, the hamza at the end was not pronounced at first and was added later.

كَرْبَلَاء • (karbalāʾ) f

1. Karbala, a city in Iraq, holy to Shia Muslims as the site of the martyrdom of Hussein

   Synonyms: الطَّف‎ (aṭ-ṭaf), الحائِر‎ (al-ḥāʾir), النَّوَاوِيس‎ (an-nawāwīs), الغاضِرِيَّة‎ (al-ḡāḍiriyya)