Shahid
/ˈʃɑː.hɪd/noun
An Arabic word meaning a witness; in Islamic usage, a martyr.
Did you know?In Islamic tradition, shahīd comes from the same Arabic root as words for witnessing and testimony, so the martyr is literally one who bears witness with their life.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
PS
*š-h-d
“A root meaning to witness, testify, or be present as evidence.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
شَهِيد (šahīd)
“Witness; one who testifies, and later a martyr who bears witness through death.”
Qur'anic Arabic
Arabic
شَهِيد (šahīd)
“A witness, especially in a religious sense; also one of the divine attributes, 'The Witness'.”
Early Islamic Arabic
Arabic
شَهِيد (šahīd)
“A martyr, understood as one who bears witness to faith.”
Modern English
English
shahid
“A transliterated Arabic term used for a Muslim martyr or witness.”