Mahabba
/maˈħabba/noun
An Arabic-derived word meaning love, affection, or passionate devotion, especially in Sufi and South Asian usage.
Did you know?In Sufi writing, maḥabba can describe divine love: an intense devotion through which the seeker draws nearer to God.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ḥ-b-b
“A reconstructed consonantal root associated with love, affection, and related Arabic vocabulary”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
ḥubb (حُبّ)
“Love, affection, or passionate attachment”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
maḥabba (مَحَبَّة)
“Love, loving affection, or devotion; an abstract noun formed from the root ḥ-b-b”
8th–10th Century
Arabic
maḥabba
“A term used in theological and Sufi discussions of human and divine love”
19th–20th Century
Urdu/Persian
mahabba
“Love or affection, especially in poetic and devotional contexts”
Modern English
English
mahabba
“A transliterated loanword used mainly when discussing Sufi spirituality, Islamic culture, or South Asian literature”