Mahbub
/məˈbuːb/noun
A transliteration of an Arabic word meaning beloved, and historically the name of a gold coin used in parts of the Islamic world.
Did you know?Mahbub comes from the Arabic root ḥ-b-b, the same root behind Arabic words for love and beloved, including the famous term habibi.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ḥ-b-b
“A reconstructed Semitic root associated with love, affection, or being beloved”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
maḥbūb
“Beloved; loved one; literally, one who is loved”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
maḥbūb
“A term of affection and also a personal name”
17th–19th Century
Persian/Urdu
Maḥbūb
“Beloved or darling; used as a personal name and honorific”
19th Century
English
mahbub
“A gold coin, especially one issued in Hyderabad and other parts of South Asia”
Modern English
English
Mahbub
“A transliterated Arabic personal name or a historical term for the coin”