'Khatam': The Arabic word for ring is also about authentication

The word is connected to the idea of closing and completing things

Khatam is the Arabic word for ring. Photo: The National

In J R R Tolkien’s famous fantasy novel, The Lord of the Rings, there is an excerpt from a poem that is linked to the vivid world of Middle Earth and is also seeped in mainstream culture.

“One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them, one ring to bring them all, and the in the darkness bind them.”

Coincidentally, the way Tolkien used the word ring here, particularly within the concept of binding or sealing, is one of the meanings in this week’s Arabic word of the week.

Khatam is most commonly known to mean a ring – a circular piece of jewellery often made from some precious metal that is worn on a finger. Fous al khatam is a phrase that translates to the stone or jewel placed on the ring and is used within that context, or sometimes as a form of endearment.

The second meaning for khatam is also a seal, stamp or signet, which is usually impressed or designed on an official document or envelope. There are other definitions for the word khatam that come from the many meanings associated to the root of the word.

Khatama is a verb, whose roots Arabic letters are kha, tah and meem. It’s the origin of the word khatam and refers to several actions. The first is the action of placing a ring on someone’s finger and the second is to place a seal on a letter, document or any item – whether official or not.

The third and fourth definitions are closely connected. The first of those is to end or complete a task or project often associated with writing or reading. For example, when someone has finished or plans to finish reading the Quran in its entirety.

The final meaning refers to the action of a person dissociating and ending their feelings towards a topic or person or to keep something locked inside oneself, such as emotions or a secret. The phrase, yekhtim qalbahou, which translates to closing his heart off, refers to this action.

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The root word of khatama was once thought to have originated from Aramaic or Hebrew. However, that is now believed not to be the case and the word most likely originated from the ancient Egyptian word htm, which refers to a seal.

Despite mainly meaning ring, these concepts also associated with completion. In fact, khatam as a noun, or its plural versions kawatim or khawateem, means the end of something or to finish something. In Islam, the Prophet Mohammed is referred to as Khatam Al Anbeyaa, which means the last of the prophets.

Khatam is a versatile word, which can mean both a physical object, the concept of authentication or metaphorical and emotional endings or completions.