Is there a relationship between the word "hijra" (migration of Muhammad) and "hijra" (South Asian term for transgender people)?
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I'm not sure if this is just a coincidence, but there are two similar usages of the word "hijra":
> **Hijrah... is the migration or journey of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to... Medina**, in the year 622. -- Wikipedia
>
> **Hijra... is a term used in South Asia... to refer to transgender individuals who were assigned male at birth.** ... The word "hijra" is an Urdu word derived from the Semitic Arabic root hjr in its sense of "leaving one's tribe," and has been borrowed into Hindi. -- Wikipedia
Given the fact that the second version of "hijra" is Urdu, which has many similarities with Arabic, and it seems to have a related original meaning, it seems plausible there's a link between the two usages.
**Question**: Is there a relationship between the word "hijra" (migration of Muhammad) and "hijra" (South Asian term for transgender people)?
Asked by Rebecca J. Stones
(20998 rep)
Jan 25, 2017, 10:48 AM
Last activity: Dec 6, 2023, 09:53 AM
Last activity: Dec 6, 2023, 09:53 AM