Hedjaz
/hɛdˈʒɑːz/noun
A historical English name for the Hejaz, the region along the western coast of present-day Saudi Arabia.
Did you know?The Hejaz contains Mecca and Medina, and its name is traditionally connected with the Arabic root ḥ-j-z, “to separate” or “to bar.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ḥ-j-z
“A reconstructed root associated with separating, dividing, or restraining.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
ḥijāz
“A barrier, partition, or separating region.”
Early Islamic period
Arabic
al-Ḥijāz
“The western Arabian region encompassing Mecca, Medina, and surrounding territory.”
17th–19th Century
European English
Hedjaz
“A European transliteration used for the Arabian region.”
Modern English
English
Hejaz
“The standard modern English spelling for the historical region.”