How to say "pilgrim (hajj-goer)" in Arabic

Shifted meaning

Meaningpilgrim (hajj-goer)

Arabic · Modern Standard Arabic

حَاجّ

ḥājjחאג'

حاج

Hebrew · Modern Hebrew

עולה רגל

ole regelأُولِي رِگِل

How the two words are related

Shifted meaning

Same root as a Hebrew word, but the meaning drifted over the centuries.

Arabic root

ح-ج-ج

Hebrew root

ח-ג-ג

Same root and even the same participle shape as חוגג, 'one who celebrates' — a hajj-goer is 'one who does the ḥajj/חג.' Hebrew kept the general sense, any reveler; Arabic narrowed it to the specific pilgrim to Mecca.

Related Hebrew word:חוגגkhogegخُوگِگ

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On the street

How people actually say it in the spoken dialects, where it differs from the standard word.

Egyptian · Cairo and the Nile Delta

حَاجّ
ḥaggחאג

Hard g in Cairo; ya ḥagg! is the respectful way to address any older man.

In a phrase

الْحُجَّاج فِي مَكَّة
al-ḥujjāj fī makkahאל-חג'אג' פי מכה

the pilgrims in Mecca

Plural

حُجَّاج
ḥujjājחג'אג'

broken plural CuCCāC

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