Khamseh
/xæmˈseɪ/noun
A name used for several Iranian tribal confederations, dialects, carpets, and other cultural entities, literally associated with the number five.
Did you know?The Iranian Khamseh Confederacy was traditionally described as an alliance of five tribal groups, making the name a direct numerical description rather than a mysterious title.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ḫamš-
“Five; the reconstructed Semitic numeral root”
Ancient Arabic
Arabic
ḫamsa
“Five, literally the feminine form of the numeral”
Medieval Persian
Persian
khamseh
“Fivefold or consisting of five; a term applied to groups and literary collections”
19th Century
Persian
Il-e Khamseh
“The Khamseh tribal confederacy of southern Iran, traditionally understood as the alliance of five tribal groups”
Modern English
English
Khamseh
“A proper name for Iranian tribal, linguistic, artistic, and cultural entities”