Mohammedan

English

Alternative forms

• Muhammadan, Mahometan, Mahomedan, Mahommedan, Muhammedan, Mohamedan, Muhamedan, Mohametan, Mahommetan, Mohammetan, Moohummudan (all as obsolete as the lemma (Mohammedan), or more so)

Etymology

From Mohammed +‎ -an, from the earlier form Mahometan, coined in the 17th century.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /məˈhæm.ɪ.dən/

• (General American) IPA^(key): /moʊˈhæm.ə.dən/, /-n̩/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

Mohammedan (plural Mohammedans)

1. (now largely obsolete and offensive) Muslim.
   • 1905, “Mosque”, in The New International Encyclopædia, New York: Dodd, Mead and Company:

     MOSQUE (Fr. mosquée, from Sp. mezquita, from Ar. masjid, temple, from sajada, to prostrate one's self, to pray). A Mohammedan house of prayer and worship. Examples of these buildings are found wherever the Mohammedan faith has prevailed, from Spain to India and Turkestan.

   • Rule 45, Prison Rules (Cap. 234, sub. leg. A)

     Mohammedan prisoners shall be allowed to observe the fast of Ramadan and during the fast shall be required to labour at such reduced task as the Medical Officer considers proper.

Translations

Muslim

• Arabic: محمدي m (muḥammadī)

  Egyptian Arabic: محمدى m (maḥammádi)

• Danish: muhammedaner c (largely archaic)
• Dutch: mohammedaan (nl) m (dated)
• Esperanto: mahometano (largely obsolete)
• Finnish: muhamettilainen (fi)
• French: mahométan (fr)
• German: Mohammedaner (de) m (largely obsolete)
• Hindi: मुहम्मदी (hi) m (muhammadī), महम्मदा (hi) m (mahammadā), महमदी (hi) m (mahamdī)
• Hungarian: mohamedán (hu)
• Irish: Mahamadach m
• Italian: maomettano (it) m, maomettana f
• Polish: mahometanin (pl) m, mahometanka (pl) f
• Portuguese: maometano (pt) m
• Russian: магомета́нин (ru) m (magometánin), магомета́нка (ru) f (magometánka)
• Swedish: muhammedan (sv) c

Adjective

Mohammedan (not comparable)

1. (now largely obsolete and offensive) Muslim, Islamic.
   • 1950 February, W. Dendy, “Impressions of the Indian Railways—3”, in Railway Magazine, page 119:

     At the principal stations there are also separate Hindu and Mohemmedan refreshment rooms, and some mail trains have compartments reserved for Indian tea and sweetmeat vendors.

2. Relating to Mohammed.

Usage notes

• See the usage notes at Mohammedanism.

Derived terms

• Mohammedan blue
• Mohammedanism

Translations

Muslim, Islamic

• Arabic: محمدي m (muḥammadī)

  Egyptian Arabic: محمدى m (maḥammádi)

• Danish: muhammedansk (largely archaic)
• Dutch: mohammedaans (nl) (dated)
• Finnish: muhamettilainen (fi)
• French: mahométan (fr)
• German: mohammedanisch (largely obsolete)
• Irish: Mahamadach
• Italian: maomettano (it)
• Polish: mahometański (pl)
• Russian: магомета́нский (ru) (magometánskij)
• Swedish: muhammedansk (sv)

Anagrams

• Mahommedan