janjaweed

J8A1N1J8A1W4E1E1D2
UK/dʒandʒəˈwiːd/

proper noun

An Arab militia force in Darfur, western Sudan, which has been in conflict with various Darfur rebel groups.

OriginArabic جَنْجَوِيد ← Persian جنگوی →
UncommonScrabble 27
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Meanings

janjaweed1

noun
  1. Alternative letter-case form of Janjaweed.

Janjaweed2

proper noun
  1. An Arab militia force in Darfur, western Sudan, which has been in conflict with various Darfur rebel groups.

    Hilal has admitted recruiting local Janjaweed militias for the government, but denies personal involvement in the scorched-earth campaign that has driven more than two million people from their homes and seen more than 200,000 people die.

    2008 January 22, Xan Rice, The Guardian

Origin

  1. Persianجنگوی“warrior”
  2. Arabicجَنْجَوِيد
  3. EnglishJanjaweed

Borrowed from Arabic جَنْجَوِيد (janjawīd), from Persian جنگوی (jangavi, “warrior”), influenced by Arabic جَوَاد (jawād, “horse”).

More words from Arabic, Persian

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

janjaweed. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/janjaweed

MLA

“janjaweed.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/janjaweed. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “janjaweed,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/janjaweed.

Source: janjaweed on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.