Harem
/ˈhɛə.rəm/noun
A part of a Muslim household reserved for women, especially the wives, concubines, and female relatives of a man of the house.
Did you know?The word comes from Arabic ḥarīm, tied to the same sacred/prohibited root as ḥarām, so the original idea was less “luxury” and more “a protected, forbidden zone.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
PS
*ḥrm
“to forbid, prohibit, set apart as sacred”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
ḥarām
“forbidden, sacred, inviolable”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
ḥarīm
“sanctuary; protected part of a house; women’s quarters”
Medieval Persian
Persian
haram
“women’s private quarters in a household”
17th Century
French
harem
“the women’s quarters of a Muslim household”
18th Century
English
harem
“the women’s apartments in a Muslim household”