Madrasah
/məˈdræsə/noun
A school, especially one devoted to Islamic religious instruction.
Did you know?The word comes from the Arabic root d-r-s, “to study,” and early madrasahs could teach law, theology, language, mathematics, astronomy, and other scholarly subjects.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Arabic
Arabic
d-r-s (د-ر-س)
“A consonantal root associated with studying, learning, and becoming familiar with knowledge.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
darasa (دَرَسَ)
“He studied or learned.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
dars (دَرْس)
“A lesson or act of study.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
madrasa (مَدْرَسَة)
“A place of study, formed with the Arabic noun pattern indicating a location.”
11th–12th Century
Arabic/Persian
madrasa
“An organized institution of learning, increasingly associated with Islamic law and religious scholarship.”
18th–19th Century
English
madrasah
“An English borrowing referring especially to a Muslim religious school.”