The Word Marhaba: Origin and Grammar

Question

What is the original [Arabic] meaning of the word "marhaba", and what is the sense of its usage in Urdu? Kindly indicate in the answer, according to grammatical rules, what part of speech the word "marhaba" is — that is, whether it is a noun (ism), a verb (fi'l), or a particle (harf). If it is a verb, is it a masdar (verbal noun) or a derived form (mushtaqq)? If derived, what type of derivation is it? In colloquial speech, is it perceived as an imperative (amr), or is it merely a particle of address (mukhatab)?

Answer

In Arabic, from the standpoint of lexical construction, "marhaba" is either a maf'ul mutlaq (absolute/cognate object) in the form of a masdar mimi (a verbal noun of the mim-pattern), or it is a zarf (adverbial) form; it is used in the sense of "welcome" — that is: "You have arrived at a good place; consider it your own home; make yourself at ease without formality.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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