Etymology

Possibly from Sumerian “Uruk” or “Warka” (Biblical “Erech”) region in the south of ancient Iraq. Medieval Arabic uses ‘Iraq’ as a geographical term for the area in the south and center of the modern Iraq. Some Arabic sources say that Iraq comes from عَرِيق ‎(ʿarīq, “deep-rooted”), from عِرْق ‎(ʿirq, “root”), while others say it is from Middle Persian's erāq ‎(“lowlands”), due to historic rule from Iraq's plateau-situated neighbor, Persia.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ɪˈɹɑːk/, /ɪˈɹak/
• (Australia) IPA^(key): /ɪˈɹak/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ɪˈɹæk/, /ɪˈɹɑːk/, /aɪˈɹæk/
• • Rhymes: -ɑːk
  • Rhymes: -æk