Mahomet
/ˈmæhəˌmɛt/noun
An archaic English form of Muhammad, the name of the Islamic prophet.
Did you know?In medieval Latin and Romance usage, forms like Mahomet often appeared in Christian texts as a learned European rendering of Arabic Muḥammad, showing how names could be reshaped by centuries of contact, translation, and polemics.
Etymological Timeline
7th Century
Arabic
Muḥammad
“"praised" or "the praised one," from the root ḥ-m-d meaning praise”
Medieval Latin
Latin
Mahometus
“A Latinized form used in European texts for the Islamic prophet”
Old French
Old French
Mahomet
“The name used in French chronicles and religious writing”
14th Century
English
Mahomet
“An English form used in historical, religious, and literary texts”
Modern English
English
Mohammed / Muhammad
“The standard modern English forms of the prophet’s name”