بحران

Where it comes from

Probably from Aramaic בחרנא (bəḥrānā, “test, turning point of disease progression, crisis”), from בְּחַר (bəḥar, “judging, testing”); compare Hebrew בָּחַר (bāḥar, “to choose, appoint”). Perhaps eventually a calque of Ancient Greek κρίσις (krísis). The Arabic lexicographers identified the word as foreign and considered it of Greek origin.

Lane instead theorised it to be from archaic البَاحُور (al-bāḥūr, “the moon”, literally “expanding, widening; being at the full extent, the furthest extremities”), from the notion of a sudden change of health being linked to the phase of the moon. Compare for this Ancient Greek σεληνιάζομαι (selēniázomai, “epilepsy; sudden drastic symptoms”, literally “moonstruck”), Latin lunaticus, and English lunacy.