Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "farkawa" shine aikin farkawa daga barci ko yanayin rashin sani. A wata ma’ana ta alama, tana iya nufin ganewa ko sanin wani abu, musamman wani abu mai mahimmanci ko wanda ba a gane shi a baya ba. Hakanan ana iya amfani da shi don bayyana farkawa ko sabunta sha'awar wani abu, kamar motsin al'adu ko zamantakewa.
