Yemenite
/ˈjɛm.ə.naɪt/noun
A person from Yemen or something relating to Yemen, its people, or its culture.
Did you know?The Arabic root associated with Yemen also means “right hand” and “good fortune,” while the same directional idea helped produce the contrast between right and left in Semitic symbolism.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*y-m-n
“A root associated with the right side, the right hand, and favorable or auspicious things.”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
yāmīn
“Right hand or right side; figuratively, strength, honor, or favor.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
yamīn
“Right hand; also an oath or sworn pledge, reflecting the ritual use of the raised right hand.”
Early Arabic Geography
Arabic
al-Yaman
“Yemen; traditionally connected with the direction south, viewed from an east-facing orientation, though the name’s exact origin is debated.”
18th Century
English
Yemenite
“An English adjective and noun formed from Yemen with the suffix -ite, referring to people or things from Yemen.”
Modern English
English
Yemenite
“Relating to Yemen or its people, especially the Yemenite Jewish community and its traditions.”