Re: Arabic 'sura' (?)-- a question

 >IIRC, a _sura_ (possibly not the correct transcription) is a chapter in the
 >Koran.

        Suura, yes.  In the written language, it ends in a -h.  But,
see below.

 >What is the actual form/meaning of the word?  Does it have anything to do
 >with "writing"?

        Just chapter, as I recall.  Writing is K-T-B.

 >                  Is there any morphological process in Arabic that would
 >suffix a /-t/ or t-like sound to the word?

        Yes.  Suura as a feminine noun will have the final -h turn
into a -t when in the construct state, that is, when followed by a
genitive.  So, "suurat al-faatiHati" for the opening chapter.
Actually, this -h is written with the two dots of the -t- to indicate
the change, which occurs on some other contexts, too.

        http://www.salamiran.org/Religion/Quran/PAGE001.GIF for the
image I consulted to verify all of this. :)

 >I ask because a question has arisen about Malay surat 'to write' and its
 >cognates.

        I would really expect a root related to K-T-B for any
borrowing of the notion of writing in general.

--
wm