Yunus

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A masculine name of Arabic origin meaning "dove," also referring to a prophetic figure in Islamic tradition known for patience and forgiveness
2. A personal name commonly used in Muslim cultures derived from the Arabic word symbolizing peace and associated with a prophet who endured hardship with steadfastness
3. An Arabic male given name signifying a bird often symbolic of calm and hope, representing a religious personality famed for his endurance and mercy

Etymology: Yunus is the Arabic form of Jonah, the Hebrew prophet whose story appears in the Hebrew Bible and, in Arabic tradition, in the Quran. The name reached Arabic through a chain of borrowing: the Hebrew "yônā," meaning "dove," was taken into Ancient Greek as "Iōnâs," and from Greek it passed into Arabic as "yūnus." The Hebrew word for dove is the same root that gives the name its bird association, which is why the name is often linked to a gentle, hopeful symbol even though the prophet's story is one of trial. Two English forms, Younis and Younus, are doublets of this name: all three come from the same source but reached English through different spellings and transliterations. Each keeps the original sense of Jonah, so a person named Yunus carries a name that has travelled from Hebrew through Greek and Arabic over many centuries.