Etymology

hajib

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Today it means: An official of a Muslim court, of varied importance, initially controlling access to the caliph, but later very powerful; a chamberlain. Full definition →

Arabic الحَاجِب
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The story

  1. Arabic · borrowed fromحَاجِب“concealing, covering, eyebrow”
  2. Arabic · borrowed fromالحَاجِب“chamberlain”
  3. English todayhajib

The court title derives from Arabic الحَاجِب (al-ḥājib, “chamberlain”). Use of the word to designate a headscarf derives from Arabic حَاجِب (ḥājib, “concealing, covering, eyebrow”), from حَجَبَ (ḥajaba, “to veil, to cover, to screen”) (whence also hijab).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.