Marabout
/ˈmær.ə.baʊt/noun
A Muslim religious leader, especially in North and West Africa, or a small domed shrine associated with such a saint.
Did you know?Marabout ultimately comes from Arabic murābiṭ, meaning a man stationed at a frontier religious post, and the word later became tied to saint-veneration and shrine-cults in the Maghreb.
Etymological Timeline
Arabic
Arabic
murābiṭ
“one who is posted or stationed, especially at a frontier religious residence or fort”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
murābiṭ
“a religious devotee associated with a ribat, later a holy man or saintly ascetic”
Maghrebi Arabic / North African usage
Arabic
marabout
“a Muslim holy man, saint, or marabout shrine”
16th–17th Century
French
marabout
“a North African Muslim holy man; later also a shrine or tomb”
18th–19th Century
English
marabout
“a Muslim holy man in North Africa; also a domed shrine or tomb”