How to say "pilgrimage (hajj)" in Arabic
CognateMeaningpilgrimage (hajj)
Arabic · Modern Standard Arabic
حَجّ
ḥajjחג'
حج
Hebrew · Modern Hebrew
עלייה לרגל
aliya laregelأَلِيَا لَارِگِل
How the two words are related
Cognate
Same Semitic root, same meaning — you already know this word.
Arabic root
ح-ج-جHebrew root
ח-ג-גחג and ḥajj share the exact root ḥ-g-g, 'a circling, a going-around.' Hebrew narrowed it to any festival; Arabic narrowed it to the specific pilgrimage to Mecca — but ḥajj also meant simply 'festival' in pre-Islamic usage, just like חג.
Related Hebrew word:חגkhagخَاگ
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In a phrase
حَجّ إِلَى مَكَّة
ḥajj ilā makkahחג' אלא מכהpilgrimage to Mecca