Saracen

pronunciation

How to pronounce Saracen in British English: UK [ˈsærəsn] word uk audio image

How to pronounce Saracen in American English: US [ˈsærəsən] word us audio image

Noun:

(historically) a member of the nomadic people of the Syrian and Arabian deserts at the time of the Roman Empire
(when used broadly) any Arab
(historically) a Muslim who opposed the crusades

Word Origin

Saracen: Saracen: [13] The Saracens were etymologically ‘people of the sunrise’ – hence ‘easterners’. The word comes via Old French Saracin and late Latin saracēnus from Greek Sarakēnós, which was probably adapted from Arabic sharqī ‘eastern’. This was a derivative of sharq ‘sunrise’. Sarsen [17] stones, large isolated boulders found in southern England, were probably named from some fanciful association with Saracens.

Saracen (n.): Old English, "an Arab" (in Greek and Roman translations), also, mid-13c., generally, "non-Christian, heathen, pagan," from Old French saracin, from Late Latin saracenus, from Greek sarakenos, usually said to be from Arabic sharquiyin, accusative plural of sharqiy "eastern," from sharq "east, sunrise," but this is not certain. In medieval times the name was associated with that of Biblical Sarah (q.v.).Peple þat cleped hem self Saracenys, as þogh þey were i-come of Sarra [John of Trevisa, translation of Higdon's Polychronicon, 1387]The name Greeks and Romans gave to the nomads of the Syrian and Arabian deserts. Specific sense of "Middle Eastern Muslim" is from the Crusades. From c. 1300 as an adjective. Related: Saracenic; and compare sarsen.

2. You are an elite assassin sent to stop the hostilities by suppressing the powers on both the crusader and saracen sides .

3. The plan for the fourth crusade was to launch an invasion of cairo , and from there attack saracen controlled jerusalem through egypt .