Talk:kuhani

@Fay Freak, I assume there must be an Arabic intermediary here, right? —Μετάknowledge^{discuss/deeds} 16:58, 24 September 2018 (UTC)

@Metaknowledge From the plural of كَاهِن (kāhin) unless this is from those Jews coming from South Arabia. Fay Freak (talk) 17:10, 24 September 2018 (UTC)

Is the Arabic word specifically used to refer to priests in Judaism? If so, I'd believe it (and the Arabic entry would need another definition line). —Μετάknowledge^{discuss/deeds} 19:06, 24 September 2018 (UTC)

@Metaknowledge It is a usual word for “priest”, meaning pagan priests, druids and the like. If a Jewish priest is to be designated the word is most likely to be used but a “specific” meaning is not recognized in dictionaries and almost impossible to search. You don’t need a specific meaning anyhow to derive the Swahili from the Arabic. It just was, as I imagine: Arabic speakers referred to Jewish priests as kuhhān, then Swahili speakers copied it. Meanings often specialize when borrowed, as the speakers of the receiving language lack comprehensive knowledge of the giving language or don’t care. Fay Freak (talk) 21:41, 24 September 2018 (UTC)