Masawaih
/ˌmæsəˈwaɪh/noun
Masawaih is a historical English rendering of the name of Yuhanna ibn Masawaih, a ninth-century Christian physician and medical writer in Baghdad.
Did you know?In medieval Europe, books falsely attributed to Masawaih under the Latin name Mesue became influential pharmacy authorities, showing how a scholar’s name could acquire almost magical textual power.
Etymological Timeline
9th Century
Syriac/Arabic
Yuhanna ibn Masawaih
“The name of the Christian physician traditionally known in Arabic sources as Yuhanna ibn Masawaih.”
9th Century
Arabic
Māsawayh
“Arabic form of the personal name; its ultimate linguistic derivation is uncertain.”
12th–13th Century
Latin
Mesue
“Latinized form used for medical authors associated with Masawaih.”
13th–16th Century
Medieval Latin
Mesuë
“Scholastic and pharmaceutical form appearing in Latin medical manuscripts and printed herbals.”
Modern English
English
Masawaih
“Modern scholarly transliteration of the historical Arabic name.”