Khamsin
/ˈkæm.sɪn/noun
A hot, dry, dust-laden wind that blows across Egypt and nearby regions, especially in spring.
Did you know?The name refers to a traditional fifty-day period of oppressive winds in Egypt, while its Arabic root also appears in khamīs, meaning Thursday—the fifth day of the week.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ḫamš-
“Five; a reconstructed Semitic numeral root”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
khams
“Five”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
khamsīn
“Fifty”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
al-khamīn / khamsīn
“The fifty-day period associated with seasonal winds”
19th Century
English
khamsin
“A hot, dusty wind of Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean”
Modern English
English
khamsin
“A desert wind, especially one blowing from North Africa toward Egypt”