bedouin

Where does the word "bedouin" come from? It comes from Arabic badawi, passing through Old French before entering English (c. 1400).

Bedouin’s story begins in Arabic: badawi meant “desert dweller.” From badw, "desert"; badawin was the plural, "desert dwellers". By 1100s, the word had taken hold in Old French as bedüin. Adopted during the Crusades, mistaking the Arabic plural ending for part of the word. It reached English by c. 1400 as bedouin. Settled into English for the nomadic tribes of the Arabian deserts. Today, bedouin means a member of a nomadic Arab people traditionally inhabiting the deserts of the Middle East and North Africa.

1. Stage 1 · Arabic · medieval badawi "desert dweller", from badw, "desert"; badawin was the plural, "desert dwellers".
2. Stage 2 · Old French · 1100s bedüin "nomadic desert Arab", adopted during the Crusades, mistaking the Arabic plural ending for part of the word.
3. Stage 3 · English · c. 1400 bedouin "nomadic desert Arab", settled into English for the nomadic tribes of the Arabian deserts.