Mu'awiyah
/muˈʕaːwija/
proper noun
Origin
Arabic
عوى — to howl or to bark
Overview
Meaning Now
- A masculine Arabic given name, most famously borne by Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan, the founder of the Umayyad Caliphate.
Literal older meaning
little howling one or enticer (from the root ʕ-w-y)
Language path
Arabic
Earliest form
معاوية
Earliest period
7th century
Journey
The name is historically significant due to Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan, who transitioned the Caliphate into a hereditary dynasty. The name's etymology is sometimes discussed in historical polemics, though it was a common name among the Quraysh tribe in pre-Islamic and early Islamic Mecca.
Evolution
- Classical Arabic
معاوية
“name derived from the feminine active participle of the root meaning 'to howl'”
Often interpreted in a metaphorical sense of a 'whelping bitch' or 'one who attracts or calls'
Connections
Word parts
Mu'awiyah
root
Personal name derived from the verb 'to howl'
Related across languages
Hebrew
ʿāwâ
to howl
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.