Muharram
/məˈhærəm/noun
The first month of the Islamic lunar calendar, regarded as one of Islam’s four sacred months.
Did you know?The name comes from the same Arabic root as ḥarām, meaning forbidden or sacred, and Muḥarram is especially associated with the solemn observance of ʿĀshūrāʾ.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ḥrm
“To set apart, prohibit, or make sacred; a reconstructed root underlying later Semitic terms for sacred boundaries.”
Pre-Islamic Arabic
Arabic
ḥarām
“Forbidden or inviolable; also referring to a sacred protected place or status.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
muḥarram
“Made sacred, forbidden, or inviolable; literally, something placed under prohibition.”
7th Century
Arabic
al-Muḥarram
“The first month of the Islamic calendar and one of its four months in which warfare was traditionally prohibited.”
17th Century
English
Muharram
“An English loanword for the first month of the Islamic calendar.”