bagdad
|bag-dad|
/ˈbæɡdæd/
(Bagdad)
god-given town / historic Iraqi capital
Etymology
'Bagdad' originates from Middle Persian, specifically the word 'Baghdād', where 'bag' meant 'god' or 'lord' and 'dād' meant 'given'.
'Bagdad' changed from Middle Persian 'Baghdād' into Arabic 'بغداد' (Baghdād), entered Medieval Latin and European languages with spellings such as 'Bagdad' and 'Baghdad', and eventually became the modern English form 'Baghdad' while 'Bagdad' remained as a historical/variant spelling.
Initially, it meant 'god-given' or 'given by god' as a compound place-name, and over time the term came to denote the specific city now known as 'Baghdad'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the capital city of the Republic of Iraq, located on the Tigris River; a major historical center of the Islamic Golden Age.
bagdad is the capital of Iraq.
Noun 2
a historical or variant English spelling of 'Baghdad' (seen in older texts and some other languages).
Older travel accounts sometimes spell the city as bagdad.
Last updated: 2025/12/30 23:10