Jama Mosque - Language and Etymology

Language and Etymology

The term jama masjid means “Mosque of Assembly” or “Congregational Mosque” and comes from Arabic, Arabic: مسجد الجمعة ‎. Although the word "jama" means assembly or congregation, it has been conflated with the word for Friday, the primary day of worship in Islam, and hence, originally incorrectly, but still sometimes these are called Friday Mosques, after the Jumu'ah or weekly Friday noon congregation prayers of Muslims.

In Persian, the term is Persian: مسجد جامع‎ masjed(-e) jāme. Jameh (جامع) stems from the root word jám (جمع) meaning "gathering", as opposed to Jom'ah (جمعه) meaning "Friday".

Read more about this topic:  Jama Mosque

Famous quotes containing the words language and, language and/or etymology:

    Now that Stevenson is dead I can think of but one English- speaking author who is really keeping his self-respect and sticking for perfection. Of course I refer to that mighty master of language and keen student of human actions and motives, Henry James.
    Willa Cather (1873–1947)

    The great pines stand at a considerable distance from each other. Each tree grows alone, murmurs alone, thinks alone. They do not intrude upon each other. The Navajos are not much in the habit of giving or of asking help. Their language is not a communicative one, and they never attempt an interchange of personality in speech. Over their forests there is the same inexorable reserve. Each tree has its exalted power to bear.
    Willa Cather (1873–1947)

    Semantically, taste is rich and confusing, its etymology as odd and interesting as that of “style.” But while style—deriving from the stylus or pointed rod which Roman scribes used to make marks on wax tablets—suggests activity, taste is more passive.... Etymologically, the word we use derives from the Old French, meaning touch or feel, a sense that is preserved in the current Italian word for a keyboard, tastiera.
    Stephen Bayley, British historian, art critic. “Taste: The Story of an Idea,” Taste: The Secret Meaning of Things, Random House (1991)