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نُكْتَةٌ essence in Arabic

نُكْتَةٌ is how you say “essence” in Arabic.

Root ن ك ت n-k-t. noun (substantive). nuktah.

Arabic

English

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Meaning of essence in Arabic

  1. a point, dot, speck, or small mark the literal sense — e.g. a small mark resembling a speck of dirt on a mirror, or a spot in the eye
  2. the essential point, gist, or essence of a matter an extension of the literal 'point' sense to the core of an idea or argument
  3. a subtle, witty, or finely turned saying; an epigram figurative (tropical) use — a nice or quaint remark that strikes the heart of the hearer, on reflecting over which one taps the ground with a finger or stick

Example sentence

ونكتة الْمَسْأَلَة أَنَّهُ لَا يرى ربه إِلَّا محسنا، وَلَا يرى نَفسه إِلَّا مسيئا

And the essence of the matter is that he sees his Lord as nothing but good, and himself as nothing but wrong.

وَنُكْتَةُ and the essence

wa- = 'and'; nukta means 'the subtle point, the gist', heading an 'of…' phrase with the next word.

From Returning to God

The English is machine-translated.

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How it is used

The root idea is striking or tapping so as to leave a mark — from this, نُكْتَة came to denote a small point or mark, then the central point or essence of a matter, and figuratively a subtle, well-crafted saying that leaves an impression on the listener, much as tapping the ground leaves marks on it.

Words from the same root

Common questions

How do you say "essence" in Arabic?
نُكْتَة (nuktah) — literally a 'point' or small mark, extended to mean the essential point or gist of a matter.
What does نُكْتَة mean besides "essence"?
It can also mean a literal small mark or speck, and figuratively a subtle, witty saying or epigram that makes a striking impression.

Related words

Definitions summarised from Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon (E. W. Lane, 1863–1893).