Learn ArabicB1 › وَزِير

وَزِير

minister (in government) /waˈziːr/

nounB1#1458 most common

Also: vizier (historical chief official), secretary of state, cabinet member

Example sentences

هَذَا وَزِير.
This is a minister.
الْوَزِير فِي اجْتِمَاع الْآن.
The minister is in a meeting now.
الْتَقَى الْوَزِير بِالصُّحُفِيِّينَ صَبَاحَ الْيَوْم.
The minister met the journalists this morning.
وَزِيرُ الْخَارِجِيَّةِ يَزُورُ بَارِيسَ لِبَحْثِ الْأَزْمَة.
The foreign minister is visiting Paris to discuss the crisis.
أَعْلَنَ الْوَزِيرُ اسْتِقَالَتَهُ بَعْدَ تَصَاعُدِ الِانْتِقَادَات.
The minister announced his resignation after criticism mounted.
لَوْلَا تَدَخُّلُ الْوَزِيرِ لَمَا تَمَّ التَّوَصُّلُ إِلَى اتِّفَاق.
Had it not been for the minister's intervention, no agreement would have been reached.

Declension

CaseSingularPlural
Nominativeوَزِيرٌوُزَرَاءُ
Genitiveوَزِيرٍوُزَرَاءَ
Accusativeوَزِيرًاوُزَرَاءَ
Vocativeيَا وَزِيرُيَا وُزَرَاءُ

Word family

وِزَارَةministry
وِزْرburden, sin
وَازَرَto support, assist
وَزِيرَةfemale minister
وُزَرَاءministers

Etymology

The word comes from the Arabic root w-z-r, which carries the idea of a burden or heavy load. A wazīr was understood as the one who carries the weight of the state for the ruler. Some scholars instead trace the term to Middle Persian, where a similar word meant counselor or judge. From Arabic it passed into Turkish, then into many European languages as vizier.

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