Mu'adhdhin
/muˈʔað.ðin/noun
A person who makes the Islamic call to prayer.
Did you know?The word comes from the same Arabic root associated with announcing or giving notice, while the related adhan names the call itself—not a magical incantation, but a formally powerful public proclamation.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Arabic
Arabic
ʾadhdhana
“He announced or proclaimed; specifically, he gave notice of the time for prayer.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
muʾadhdhin
“One who announces; the person appointed to make the call to prayer.”
7th Century
Arabic
adhān
“The formal Islamic call announcing that the time for prayer has arrived.”
Medieval Arabic and Persian usage
Arabic/Persian
muʾadhdhin / mu'azzin
“The designated caller who publicly recites the adhan.”
17th Century
English
muezzin
“An Islamic official who calls worshippers to prayer.”
Modern English
English
mu'adhdhin
“A scholarly transliteration of the Arabic term for the caller to prayer.”