taifa

See also: tāifǎ and tāifà

English

Etymology

From Spanish taifa, from Arabic طَائِفَة (ṭāʔifa, “sect, faction”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɑˈiːfə/ (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this pronunciation?)

Noun

taifa (plural taifas)

1. (historical) A Muslim principality on the Iberian Peninsula during the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries.
2. (historical) A similar Islamic principality on Sicily after the fall of the w:en:Emirate of Sicily

Translations

Translations

• Arabic: طَائِفَة (ar) (ṭāʔifa)
• Spanish: taifa (es) f

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic طَائِفَة (ṭāʔifa, “sect, faction”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtaifa/ [ˈt̪ai̯.fa]
• Rhymes: -aifa
• Syllabification: tai‧fa

Noun

taifa f (plural taifas)

1. gang
2. side, faction
3. (historical) taifa

Further reading

• “taifa”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025

Swahili

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic طَائِفَة (ṭāʔifa, “sect, division”).

Pronunciation

• Audio (Kenya):

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Noun

taifa class V (plural mataifa class VI)

1. nation (group of people sharing aspects of language, culture and/or ethnicity)

Synonyms

• nchi

Derived terms

• -taifisha
• kitaifa
• utaifa