mosque

Where does the word "mosque" come from? It comes from Arabic masjid, passing through Spanish, Italian and French before entering English (1717).

Mosque’s story begins in Arabic: masjid meant “place of worship.” From sajada, "he worshipped," plus the place-prefix ma-. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in Spanish as mezquita. Adopted during centuries of Muslim rule in Iberia. From there it passed into Italian as moschea by 1500s. Reshaped as it passed through Mediterranean trade. French picked it up next, as mosquee, around 1500s. Adapted from Italian. It reached English by 1717 as mosque. Standardized after centuries of mangled Middle English spellings like "moseak". Today, mosque means a Muslim place of worship.

1. Stage 1 · Arabic · medieval masjid "place of worship", from sajada, "he worshipped," plus the place-prefix ma-.
2. Stage 2 · Spanish · 1500s mezquita "mosque", adopted during centuries of Muslim rule in Iberia.
3. Stage 3 · Italian · 1500s moschea "mosque", reshaped as it passed through Mediterranean trade.
4. Stage 4 · French · 1500s mosquee "mosque", adapted from Italian.
5. Stage 5 · English · 1717 mosque "Islamic place of worship", standardized after centuries of mangled Middle English spellings like "moseak".