Etymology Map
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Fellah

3 stages from Arabic to English.

Today it means a peasant or agricultural laborer in Egypt or other Arab countries

Where does the word "fellah" come from? It comes from Arabic falaha, passing through Arabic before entering English (1743).

1
Stage 1 of 3
falaha
Arabic · medieval
"to plow"
meant "to plow, to till the soil"
2
Stage 2 of 3
fallah
Arabic · medieval
"plowman, peasant"
named the peasant farmer who worked the land
3
Stage 3 of 3
fellah
English · 1743
"Egyptian peasant farmer"
entered English through accounts of Egyptian rural life
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