Saracen

See also: Saracén

English

Alternative forms

• Sarcen (misspelling)

Etymology

From Old French sarrazin, from Late Latin Saracenus, from Ancient Greek Σαρακηνός (Sarakēnós), which may be from Arabic شَرْقِيِّين (šarqiyyin, “easterners”). Since the Sarakenoi lived to the east of most Semitic peoples of the time, a more reasonable explanation is from Arabic سَارِقُون (plunderers) (sariqun), as mentioned in wikipedia Saracen.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsæɹəˌsən/

Noun

Saracen (plural Saracens)

1. A member of a nomadic people from the Sinai near the Roman province of Arabia in the early centuries CE, who were specifically distinct from Arabs.
2. (dated) A Muslim, especially one involved in the Crusades.
3. (dated) A pirate in the Mediterranean.
4. A type of six-wheeled armoured personnel carrier.

Related terms

• Saracenic
• sarsen, sarsen stone

Translations

member of a nomadic people from the Sinai near the Roman province of Arabia in the early centuries CE

• Armenian: սարակինոս (sarakinos)
• Czech: Saracén m
• French: Sarrazin (fr) m, Sarrasin (fr) m
• German: Sarazene (de) m
• Polish: Saracen (pl) m
• Portuguese: sarraceno (pt) m
• Spanish: sarraceno (es) m, sarracena (es) f
• Swedish: saracen (sv) c

Arab or any Muslim, especially one involved in the Crusades

• Armenian: սարակինոս (sarakinos)
• French: Sarrazin (fr) m, Sarrasin (fr) m
• Georgian: სარკინოზი (sarḳinozi)
• Polish: Saracen (pl) m
• Russian: сараци́н (ru) (saracín)
• Spanish: sarraceno (es) m, sarracena (es) f
• Swedish: saracen (sv) c
• Turkish: Sarazen

pirate in the Mediterranean

type of six-wheeled armoured personnel carrier

References

• “Saracen”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “Saracen”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “Saracen”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “Saracen” in TheFreeDictionary.com, Huntingdon Valley, Pa.: Farlex, Inc., 2003–2024.

Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French sarrazin.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /saˈra.t͡sɛn/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -at͡sɛn
• Syllabification: Sa‧ra‧cen

Noun

Saracen m pers

1. Saracen

Declension

Declension of Saracen

	singular	plural
nominative	Saracen	Saraceni
genitive	Saracena	Saracenów
dative	Saracenowi	Saracenom
accusative	Saracena	Saracenów
instrumental	Saracenem	Saracenami
locative	Saracenie	Saracenach
vocative	Saracenie	Saraceni

Derived terms

• saraceński

 

Further reading

• Saracen in Polish dictionaries at PWN