Jamia
/ˈdʒɑː.mi.ə/noun
An Islamic educational institution, especially a university or seminary in South Asian usage.
Did you know?The word is related to the Arabic name al-Jāmiʿ, traditionally used for a congregational mosque because it gathers the community together for communal prayer.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic (reconstructed)
Proto-Semitic
*g-m-ʕ
“To gather, collect, or bring together”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
جمع (jamʿ)
“Gathering, collection, or assembly”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
جامع (jāmiʿ)
“Gathering; a congregational mosque that brings worshippers together”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
جامعة (jāmiʿa)
“A place or institution of gathering; later, a university”
Medieval–Modern South Asia
Urdu
جامعہ (jāmiʿa)
“Islamic college, seminary, or university”
20th Century–Modern English
English
jamia
“An Islamic educational institution, especially in South Asian English”