Hadji
/ˈhædʒi/noun
A title or form of address for a Muslim who has completed the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.
Did you know?Historically, “Hadji” was placed before a person’s name as an honorific after completing the hajj, though English colonial usage sometimes turned it into a caricature.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ḥ-j-j
“A root associated with pilgrimage or undertaking a sacred journey”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
ḥajj
“The pilgrimage to Mecca, one of Islam’s Five Pillars”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
ḥājj
“A person who performs the hajj”
Ottoman Turkish
Ottoman Turkish
hacı
“A Muslim who has completed the pilgrimage to Mecca”
17th Century
English
hadji
“An English rendering of the Arabic-derived title for a pilgrim to Mecca”
Modern English
English
hadji
“A variant spelling of haji, referring to someone who has completed the hajj”