Mashriq
/məʃˈriːk/noun
The eastern part of the Arab world, especially the Levant, Iraq, and neighboring regions.
Did you know?In Arabic sacred and mystical language, the root associated with the Mashriq connects eastern light with sunrise, illumination, and spiritual awakening.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ś-r-q
“To rise, shine, or become bright; the reconstructed ancestor of the Arabic sunrise-related root.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
š-r-q (شرق)
“To rise or shine, especially of the sun; to be eastward.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
mašriq (مَشْرِق)
“The place where the sun rises; the east. The prefix ma- forms a place noun.”
Medieval Islamic Geography
Arabic
al-Mašriq
“The eastern lands of the Islamic world, contrasted with al-Maghrib, “the west.””
19th–20th Century
English
Mashriq
“An English transliteration used for the eastern Arab world, particularly the Levant and Iraq.”
Modern English
English
Mashriq
“The eastern Arab region, commonly contrasted with the Maghreb in discussions of Arab geography and culture.”