Junoon
/dʒʊˈnuːn/noun
An intense passion, obsession, or fervent enthusiasm, especially in South Asian English.
Did you know?Junoon comes from Arabic *junūn*, historically associated with madness or possession by the jinn, while the same root also produced the English words *jinn* and *genie*.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ǵnn
“To cover, conceal, or hide; a reconstructed root associated with hiddenness.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
janna
“He hid, concealed, or covered.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
jinn
“An unseen or hidden spirit-being; literally connected with what is concealed.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
junūn
“Madness, insanity, or a state understood in older usage as possession by a jinn.”
Medieval Persian and Urdu
Persian/Urdu
junūn
“Passionate madness, intense love, or overwhelming obsession.”
Modern English
English
junoon
“Powerful passion, fervor, or obsessive enthusiasm, particularly in South Asian English.”