Etymology
The term "Bedouin" derives from a plural form of the Arabic word badawī, as it is pronounced in colloquial dialects. The Arabic term badawī (بدوي) which means "desert dweller" and derives from the word bādiyah (بَادِية), which means "plain" or "desert". The term "Bedouin" therefore means, "those in bādiyah" or "those in the desert".
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Famous quotes containing the word etymology:
“The universal principle of etymology in all languages: words are carried over from bodies and from the properties of bodies to express the things of the mind and spirit. The order of ideas must follow the order of things.”
—Giambattista Vico (1688–1744)
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