Beja

See also: beja and Béja

English

Etymology 1

Alternative forms

• Beğa, Bedja

Noun

Beja pl (plural only)

1. An ethnic group found along the Horn of Africa.

Proper noun

Beja

1. The language of the Beja ethnic group.

Further reading

• Ethnologue entry for Beja, bej ⁠

Etymology 2

Alternative forms

• Baja, Bajs

Proper noun

Beja

1. A village in Latvia.

Etymology 3

Proper noun

Beja

1. A city and district of Portugal.
2. Alternative form of Béja, Tunisia.

Old Galician-Portuguese

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɛd͡ʒa/

Proper noun

Beja

1. Beja (a city in southern Portugal)
   • 13th century CE, Alfonso X of Castile, Cantigas de Santa Maria, E codex, cantiga 224 (facsimile):

     Ond auẽo pois aſſẏ— que en Beia u moraua un ome Caſado ben con ſa moll q̇ amaua

     It happened as such, that in Beja lived a man, well-married with his wife whom he loved.

Descendants

• Portuguese: Beja

Portuguese

Beja

Etymology

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese Beja, from Arabic بَاجَة (bāja), from Visigothic Paca, from Pācem (Jūliam) (the ancient Roman town).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɛ.ʒɐ/

• Audio (Portugal)

  (file)

• Homophone: beija (Lisbon)
• Hyphenation: Be‧ja

Proper noun

Beja f

1. Beja (a district in southern Portugal)
2. Beja (a city and municipality of Beja, Portugal)

Usage notes

Beja is never indicated by an article; see usage notes for Portugal.

Related terms

• bejense, pacense