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Glossary entry

English term or phrase:

rakah

English answer:

raka : ruler in early history of Java

Added to glossary by updownK
Mar 2, 2017 02:45
7 yrs ago
English term

rakah

English Art/Literary Poetry & Literature
"You cannot imagine what I have seen – caliphs and mjeeds, RAKAHs, rajas and bashars, kings and emperors, primitos and presidents – I've seen them all."
--quoted from God Emperor Of Dune (https://books.google.com.hk/books?id=llx7Syf_0rsC&pg=PT26&dq...

I searched online, and found that both explanations of this word (1. Israel Communist Party, 2. a portion of the salat) seem not related with the sentence. I think it should be with similar nature as caliph, raja, king, etc.

Thanks!
Responses
4 +5 raka : ruler in early history of Java
4 Rak'ah

Discussion

updownK (asker) Mar 3, 2017:
@Piyush Ojha @Edith @KJackMark Thanks!
Piyush Ojha Mar 2, 2017:
On Rakai / Raka Since there is a Javanese connection, I wondered if 'raka' was derived from Sanskrit. It seems not.

"It has been suggested that the word rakai or rake was derived from raka, meaning “older brother” (Stutterheim 1933:165; van Naerssen 1977:37). Such an explanation, however, is now no longer acceptable. It has been pointed out that the word raka “never occurs in the inscriptions with the meaning of ‘older brother’, nor with any other meaning” (Barret Jones 1984:93), and the form raka i is not in fact found in any original inscriptions (de Casparis 1990:56). Moreover, considering that ranking based on age is a very important principle among Austronesian peoples, one would expect that a kinship term indicating an older age group than “father” would be used to denote a position higher than rāma. It seems more likely, therefore, that the word rakai and variants such as rake, reke and raki, is related to ra-(ka)ki or ra-kya, the primary meaning of which is “elder, grandfather”.[5]"

http://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/p69411/mobile/...
Edith Kelly Mar 2, 2017:
Godess ? https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raka
Jacek Kloskowski Mar 2, 2017:
It could be just a made up title. It is, after all, sci-fi. That includes alternate social structures.

Responses

+5
5 hrs
Selected

raka : ruler in early history of Java

Although it normally seems to be written without an h at the, this is the only kind of raka(h) I can find that seems relevant to your context:

"An authority of the highest order during Java's early history was doubtlessly the raka. According to the oldest available Hindu-Javanese historical sources he may be considered as the sovereign with regard to his de facto power, that is, his power to dispose of material an labour. The title of raka primarily indicated the ruler of a number of wanuas; these communities were under the jurisdiction (watak) of the community of which the raka originated."
F. H. Van Naerssen & R. C. de Iongh, Handbook of Oriental Studies, Part 3, p. 37
https://books.google.es/books?id=kThUuw1KGf0C&pg=PA37&lpg=PA...

Several Rakas of the early Mataram kingdoms between the years 732 and 928 are listed here:
https://books.google.es/books?id=_azACQAAQBAJ&pg=PT1329&lpg=...
John Middleton, World Monarchies and Dynasties
https://books.google.es/books?id=_azACQAAQBAJ&pg=PT1329&lpg=...
Peer comment(s):
agree Saner Yuzsuren : Seems to be the correct explanation
1 hr
Thank you, Saner! It's possible, at least.
agree B D Finch : Well researched! (As usual.)
2 hrs
Many thanks!
agree Yasutomo Kanazawa : All the names mentioned in the source text, from caliphs to presidents are ALL people of some kind.
2 hrs
Thanks, Yasutomo-san. Yes, and potentates of some kind, it seems.
agree Piyush Ojha
9 hrs
Thanks, Piyush :) Very interesting reference in the discussion.
agree acetran
21 hrs
Thanks, acetran :)
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks! Impressive research!"
4 hrs

Rak'ah

Rakah is an Arabic word in origin and means a specific section of a prayer when muslims goes down on his knees and bends his body down the ground. It is actually a portion of a salat (not salad !) In the folloing web references I include the illustrations of rakah as well.


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Note added at 4 hrs (2017-03-02 07:35:09 GMT)
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salat (not salad) also means prayers of Islam, five times a day. http://www.dictionary.com/browse/salat?s=t


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Note added at 4 hrs (2017-03-02 07:40:54 GMT)
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Please ignore the google link as I made a mistake in linking the string.. Here is the better one for those who wants to read in details about the portions of Rakah.

http://www.newmuslimguide.info/14.html

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Note added at 5 hrs (2017-03-02 07:47:59 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

and finally the meaning in the context could be referring to people going down on their knees and begging mercy from Allah in that sense.
Example sentence:

Morning prayer consists of 4 rakahs.

Reference:

http://https://www.google.com.tr/search?q=rakah&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=638&tbm=isch&imgil=8Xuf3fuj5UlxTM%253A%253BPQaqWCbfrnwe_M%253Bhttp%25253

Note from asker:
Thanks! The information you provided is interesting!
Peer comment(s):
neutral Mair A-W (PhD) : does not fit the context
1 hr
Fully agree that it does not fit the context but did you read my latest comment about going down on one's knees and begging mercy? I thought this could be the metaphorical meaning.
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