Jin
/dʒɪn/noun
A variant English spelling of jinn, a supernatural being in Islamic and Middle Eastern tradition.
Did you know?The Qur’an describes jinn as beings created from smokeless fire, distinguishing them from humans, who are described as created from clay.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Islamic Arabic
Arabic
j-n-n
“A root associated with covering, concealment, and things hidden from sight”
Early Arabic
Arabic
jinn
“An unseen or hidden being; the plural collective term later used in Islamic literature”
7th Century
Quranic Arabic
al-jinn
“The jinn, a class of invisible beings described alongside humans and angels”
17th–18th Century
English
ginne / ginn
“Early English transliterations of Arabic jinn in discussions of Islamic belief”
19th–20th Century
English
jin
“A variant spelling of jinn, increasingly used in English transliteration”
Modern English
English
jin
“A supernatural being or spirit in Islamic and Middle Eastern tradition”