Djinn
/dʒɪn/noun
A spirit or supernatural being in Arabic and Islamic tradition.
Did you know?The English word genie comes through French from Arabic jinn, and the same root is also behind jinn in Islamic lore and the idea of beings concealed from ordinary perception.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
PS
*ginn-
“to cover, conceal; hidden being (reconstructed root)”
Arabic
Arabic
jinn
“invisible beings or spirits, concealed from human eyes”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
jānn
“a jinn being; also associated in some usage with something hidden or covered”
Medieval French
French
génie
“a tutelary spirit or supernatural being”
18th Century
English
genie
“a spirit or supernatural being, especially one in Arabian tales”
Modern English
English
djinn
“a jinn; a supernatural spirit in Islamic folklore”