Hashishin
/ˌhæʃɪˈʃiːn/noun
A term historically associated with the Nizari Ismaili sect, later used in European sources for alleged medieval assassins.
Did you know?The popular story that the Hashshashin were drug-fueled killers is not supported by solid historical evidence; the name’s real origin is debated, but the myth helped birth the English word assassin.
Etymological Timeline
11th–13th centuries
Persian/Arabic
ḥašīšīyīn
“A term associated with the Nizari Ismaili community; exact sense is debated, and hostile sources used it polemically.”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
ḥašīš
“Hemp; hashish, a cannabis preparation.”
12th–13th centuries
Arabic/Latin sources
al-Ḥašīšiyyīn
“A name recorded by outside writers for the sect, later wrapped in legends of drugged fanatics.”
14th Century
Italian/French
assassino / assassin
“A hired killer or murderer, borrowed into European languages from forms associated with the Hashshashin.”
Modern English
English
assassin
“A person who murders a prominent or important person, often for political reasons.”