Faker vs fakir

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Grammarist

Faker and fakir are two words that are easily confused, though they are not pronounced in exactly the same fashion. We will examine the meanings of the words faker and fakir, where these words came from and some examples of their use in sentences.

A faker is a person who deceives, someone who creates counterfeit or non-genuine items or situations. The word faker is the agent noun form of the word fake, first used in the 1840s. An agent noun is a noun that indicates someone or something that performs the action of a verb. Surprisingly, the word fake only dates back to just before the turn of the nineteenth century, it was originally a slang word used by criminals in Britain. It is possibly derived from the German word fegen, which means to seep, to polish or to plunder.

A fakir is a member of a certain Muslim sect who makes his living through begging, though fakir may also refer to a Hindu ascetic. The word is derived from the Arabic word faqir, which means a poor man. The word fakir and the fakir way of life is reputed to have been taken from a quote from Muhammad: “el fakr fakhri” which translates as poverty is my pride.

Examples

Hamilton cancer faker Sarah Lucas sentenced to two years in prison (The Hamilton Spectator)

A FACEBOOK faker sold almost £20,000 of counterfeit designer clothes through the social network. (The Argus)

Race faker Rachel Dolezal, 38, came to public attention after she was outed by her parents as a white woman in June 2015. (The Daily Star)

He believes that even a fakir can be raees and explains, “It is about how giving you are and how you think of others in your line of work – whether you take people along with you.” (The Times of India)