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Where does the word "wadi" come from? It comes from Arabic wadi, and was adopted directly into English (1839).
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Where does the word "wadi" come from? It comes from Arabic wadi, and was adopted directly into English (1839).
Wadi’s story begins in Arabic: wadi meant “a watercourse or valley, dry except in rainy season.” Participle of wada, "it flowed". It reached English by 1839 as wadi. Arabic 'valley'; Wadi Rum in Jordan is famous from 'Lawrence of Arabia'. Today, wadi means a dry riverbed or valley in North Africa or the Middle East that fills with water only after heavy rain.
- Stage 1 · Arabic · medieval wadi "a watercourse or valley, dry except in rainy season", participle of wada, "it flowed".
- Stage 2 · English · 1839 wadi "seasonal desert watercourse", Arabic 'valley'; Wadi Rum in Jordan is famous from 'Lawrence of Arabia'.