Marhaba
/marˈħa.ba/noun
An Arabic greeting meaning “hello” or “welcome.”
Did you know?The greeting comes from the Arabic root R-Ḥ-B, associated with spaciousness and openness, so welcoming someone metaphorically meant giving them room to arrive.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*r-ḥ-b
“To be wide, spacious, or open”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
raḥuba
“To be spacious or broad”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
marḥab
“A place or space associated with welcome”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
marḥaban
“Welcome; literally, “in spaciousness” or “with ease””
Ottoman Period
Ottoman Turkish
merhaba
“Hello; welcome”
Modern English
English
marhaba
“An Arabic greeting adopted in English writing and speech”