Etymology
June 21, 2008
The name “Qatar” may derive from the same Arabic root as qatura, which means “to exude.” The word Qatura traces to the Arabic qatran meaning “tar” or “resin”, which relates to the country’s rich resources in petroleum and natural gas.
Other sources say the name may derive from “Qatara”, believed to refer to the Qatari town of Zubara, an important trading port and town in the region in ancient times. The word “Qatara” first appeared on Ptolemy’s map of the Arabian Peninsula.
In Standard Arabic, the name is pronounced IPA: [ˈqɑtˁɑr], while the local dialect pronounces it giṭar In English-language broadcast media within Qatar, for example television commercials for Qatar Airways and advertisements concerning economic development in Qatar, the name is pronounced “KA-tar”, with a distinct differentiation between the syllables from the forming of the ‘t’ sound.
