Jordanian

How to spell jordanian

9 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce jordanian

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does jordanian mean?

1. adjectiveRelating to Jordan, the country in the Middle East, or its people and culture.
2. nounA person who is from Jordan or holds Jordanian citizenship.

Jordanian in a sentence

• adjective

  The museum displayed ancient jordanian pottery from the desert region.

• noun

  Every jordanian in the queue presented a national identity card.

• adjective

  She ordered a traditional jordanian dish at the new restaurant.

• noun

  The conference host welcomed a jordanian to give the keynote address.

Where does jordanian come from?

Language of origin: Hebrew

This word is built from the place name Jordan plus the English suffix -ian, which descends from the Latin -ianus and marks belonging or origin. The country of Jordan takes its name from the River Jordan, whose name comes from the Hebrew Yarden, traditionally understood to mean 'the one that descends' or 'flowing down', from a root meaning 'to go down'. That sense fits the river well, since it drops steeply on its way toward the Dead Sea, the lowest point on land. The modern state adopted the name in the twentieth century, and the adjective Jordanian followed naturally in English. The spelling keeps the single d and the -anian ending of the river name, so the main thing to remember is the i before the final -an, exactly as in similar forms such as Italian or Brazilian.

How the word is built

• Jordan (the country, named for the River Jordan)
• -ian (adjective/noun suffix meaning 'belonging to')