Shiʽi

noun

shēˈē

plural -s

: shiʽite

Shiʽi adjective

Shiʽi law was not in most respects significantly different from Sunni, and most of the time the two groups managed to live in peace.

—Ross E. Dunn, The Adventures of Ibn Battuta, 1986

Word History

Etymology

Arabic shiyaʽīy

First Known Use

1728, in the meaning defined above

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