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Today it means

hajj

the pilgrimage to Mecca that Muslims make at least once if they can

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Where does the word "hajj" come from? It comes from Arabic ḥajj, and was adopted directly into English (1700s).

Read the full story

Where does the word "hajj" come from? It comes from Arabic ḥajj, and was adopted directly into English (1700s).

Hajj’s story begins in Arabic: ḥajj meant “pilgrimage.” Pilgrimage; one of the Five Pillars of Islam. It reached English by 1700s as hajj. Travellers' accounts first described it; Richard Burton made the journey in disguise in 1853. Today, hajj means the pilgrimage to Mecca that Muslims make at least once if they can.

  1. Stage 1 · Arabic · medieval ḥajj "pilgrimage", pilgrimage; one of the Five Pillars of Islam.
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1700s hajj "pilgrimage to Mecca", travellers' accounts first described it; Richard Burton made the journey in disguise in 1853.

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