Mandaeans
/mænˈdiːənz/noun
The adherents of Mandaeism, a small Gnostic religious tradition whose communities have historically lived in Mesopotamia.
Did you know?Mandaeans practice repeated ritual immersion in flowing water, a tradition known as masbuta, and revere John the Baptist as a major prophetic figure.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*y-d-ʿ
“To know or recognize; the ancient consonantal root underlying later Aramaic forms.”
Classical Aramaic
Aramaic
mandaʿ
“Knowledge or gnosis; related to the Semitic root for knowing.”
Late Antiquity
Mandaic
manda
“Knowledge, spiritual knowledge, or gnosis in the language of Mandaeian religious texts.”
Late Antiquity
Mandaic
mandaia
“Gnostic or knowledgeable; associated with the Mandaean religious community.”
17th Century
Latin
Mandaeus
“A Mandaean; a Latin scholarly rendering of the community’s name.”
Modern English
English
Mandaean
“A member of the Mandaean religious tradition; the plural is Mandaeans.”