It is a component of an Arabic name, a type of epithet, in theory referring to the bearer's first-born son or daughter. By extension, it may also have hypothetical or metaphorical references, e.g. in a nom de guerre or a nickname, without literally referring to a son or a daughter.
Print |. A A. Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., an author of the Patriot Act, is calling for Director of National Intelligence James Clapper to be prosecuted for lying to Congress last March in response to a question by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., about alleged NSA snooping on Americans.
Director of U.S. National Intelligence James Clapper speaks during a discussion on The 9/11 Commission Report: Ten Years Later, hosted by The Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) and the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, July 22, 2014 at the Newseum in Washington, DC. Alex Wong, Getty Images.