Beduin
/ˈbɛd.ju.ɪn/noun
A member of a traditionally nomadic Arab people of the deserts of North Africa and the Middle East.
Did you know?In Arabic, the root behind Beduin contrasts the open desert world of the badw with settled urban life, known as ḥaḍar.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Arabic
Arabic
badw
“The open desert or nomadic desert-dwelling life”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
badawī
“Of the desert; nomadic or desert-dwelling”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
badawiyyūn
“Desert nomads; people associated with the badw”
16th Century
Italian
beduino
“A Bedouin or Arab desert nomad”
16th–17th Century
French
bédouin
“A nomadic Arab of the desert”
Modern English
English
beduin
“A variant spelling of Bedouin”