dervish
See also: Dervish
English
Alternative forms
- darwaysh, darwesh, dervice, dervis, dervise (archaic)
Etymology
From Turkish derviş, from Ottoman Turkish درویش, from Persian درویش (darviš), from Middle Persian dlgwš (driyōš, “poor, needy”).
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /ˈdɜːvɪʃ/
Noun
dervish (plural dervishes)
- A member of the Dervish fraternity of Sufism, known for spinning.
- (historical) A citizen or inhabitant of Darawiish (circa 1895–1920 C.E.), the Dhulbahante anti-colonial polity geographically corresponding with Khaatumo.
- (historical) One of the fanatical followers of the Mahdi, in the Sudan, in the 1880s.
- (by extension) Any irregular guerrilla fighter resembling the Mahdi in equipment, uniform, tactics, etc.
- 1926, T.E. Lawrence, Seven Pillars of Wisdom, New York: Anchor (1991), p. 104:
- The Hejaz war, meanwhile, would be one of dervishes against regular troops.
- 1926, T.E. Lawrence, Seven Pillars of Wisdom, New York: Anchor (1991), p. 104:
- (by extension) Any irregular guerrilla fighter resembling the Mahdi in equipment, uniform, tactics, etc.
Derived terms
- Whirling Dervish
Translations
a member of Dervish fraternity of Sufism
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Anagrams
- shrived