fard

Meanings

Verb

• To paint, as the cheeks or face.
• To embellish or gloss over.

Noun

• Colour or paint, especially white paint, used on the face; makeup, war-paint.
• A commandment from Allah that a Muslim has to fulfil; a religious duty or obligation.
• Alternative of ferd.

Adjective

• Required as a matter of religious duty or obligation.

Origin

• From Middle English farden ("to apply cosmetics") or Middle French farder, from Old French farder ("to make up or paint the face; to disguise; to represent in a false light"), from Frankish *farwidōn ("to colour, dye"), from Proto-Germanic *farwiþōną ("to colour"), from *farwō, from Proto-Indo-European *perḱ- ("coloured; motley").
• The word is cognate with Icelandic farða, Latin pulcher ("beautiful"), Old High German farwjan ("to colour") (modern German Farbe ("colour")), Middle Low German varwe ("colour") (Low German Farwe ("colour")), Welsh erch ("dark brown").
• The noun is from French fard ("cosmetics, make-up"), from Old French fart ("cosmetics, make-up") (farde ); further etymology is uncertain, but a possible derivation is from Old High German gifarwit ("coloured, painted"), past participle of farwjan, from Proto-West Germanic *faru (related to the verb).
• Borrowed from Arabic فَرْض ("religious duty"), from فَرَضَ.