Midian

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. A historical region mentioned in ancient texts, often associated with the inhabitants known as Midianites
2. An area referenced in biblical narratives, linked to the tribes that descended from Abraham through his second wife Keturah
3. A cultural and geographical term denoting the land where a nomadic people, known for their trade and interaction with the Hebrews, once thrived

Etymology: Midian is the English form of a Hebrew name, מִדְיָן (Midyan), borne in the Hebrew Bible by a son of Abraham and by the people descended from him, who were associated with a region of the Arabian desert east of the Gulf of Aqaba. The name thus began as a personal name before it became a place name, and the land took its identity from the ancestor's family line rather than the reverse. The word entered English as a label for that desert territory, and as an adjective it means relating to that region or its people. Because the name passes through biblical narrative, it carries the flavour of ancient Hebrew storytelling even when used of a geographical area.

Synonyms: Midianite