sirocco

Where does the word "sirocco" come from? It comes from Arabic sharq, passing through Italian before entering English (1600s).

Sirocco’s story begins in Arabic: sharq meant “east.” Meaning "east", describing the direction of the desert wind. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Italian as scirocco. Named the hot wind blowing from North Africa. It reached English by 1600s as sirocco. Arabic 'sharq', east; the wind carries Saharan dust to Sicily and southern Italy. Today, sirocco means a hot, dry wind blowing from North Africa across the Mediterranean.

1. Stage 1 · Arabic · medieval sharq "east", meaning "east", describing the direction of the desert wind.
2. Stage 2 · Italian · medieval scirocco "a hot desert wind", named the hot wind blowing from North Africa.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1600s sirocco "a hot wind from the Sahara reaching Southern Europe", Arabic 'sharq', east; the wind carries Saharan dust to Sicily and southern Italy.