Taj Mahal
/ˌtɑːdʒ məˈhɑːl/noun
A white-marble mausoleum in Agra, India, built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal.
Did you know?The monument is commonly called the Taj Mahal, but “Mahal” refers to Mumtaz Mahal, the title of Shah Jahan’s beloved wife, whose death prompted its construction.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic / Ancient Near East
Semitic
*ḥll
“A root associated in later Semitic languages with releasing, permitting, or making lawful; the precise prehistoric form is reconstructed.”
Ancient Arabic
Arabic
maḥall
“A place, site, or location; literally a place where something settles or is situated.”
Medieval Persian
Persian
maḥal
“Place, location, residence, or palace; Persian adopted the Arabic noun.”
Medieval Persian
Persian
tāj
“Crown; a prestigious head ornament or symbol of sovereignty, borrowed from Arabic.”
17th Century
Mughal Persian
Tāj Maḥal
“The “Crown Palace,” the name by which the mausoleum became known in the Mughal imperial world.”
Modern English
English
Taj Mahal
“The famous mausoleum at Agra, completed in the mid-17th century and associated with Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal.”