View Message

Al bukhari means `the [person] from bukhara'. It is unlikely to be related to Hindu Hari (in either of its two senses: yellow-green or bearing). What has been actually proposed is actually a relation to vihAra (from a root meaning to separate, the word means arrangement or pleasure walk, used for the ancient places of learning, especially Buddhist), but even that is doubtful. (Note Buddhism is more likely than Hinduism, given the history). More likely, bukhara may mean God's fascination see http://www.advantour.com/uzbekistan/bukhara/history/003.htm . I have no idea how reliable the web page is, but the tone sounds reasonable.