Word of the Week
hegira (n.): any flight or journey to a more desirable or congenial place. Etymology: Hegira , “a flight to a more desirable or safer place,” comes from Medieval Latin hegira , a Latinization of Arabic hijrah “emigration, flight, departure,” a derivative of the verb hajara “he departed.” Hijrah specifically refers to the flight of Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina to escape persecution in July c.e. 622. The Arabic form hijrah (more fully al hijrat ) for Muslims marks the beginning of the Muslim Era. Hegira entered English in the late 16th century; the spelling hijra in the late 19th. Reference "Word of the Day: hegira" (2021) Dictionary.com. Retrieved from https://www.dictionary.com/e/word-of-the-day/hegira-2021-08-09/ on August 10, 2021.