Baladi
/bəˈlɑːdi/noun
A style of Egyptian folk music and dance, or something traditionally local or native to Egypt.
Did you know?In Egyptian Arabic, baladi can describe ordinary local culture, while in dance it became associated with an earthy, improvisational style accompanied by instruments such as the accordion.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*balad-
“Inferred root associated with land, territory, or inhabited place”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
balad (بلد)
“Country, land, town, or inhabited place”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
baladī (بلدي)
“Of my country; local or native, formed with the first-person possessive suffix -ī”
19th–20th Century
Egyptian Arabic
baladī
“Local, traditional, or Egyptian rather than foreign”
20th Century
English
baladi
“A name for Egyptian folk music and a related dance style”
Modern English
English
baladi
“An Egyptian folk-dance or music style, especially one emphasizing grounded movement and improvisation”