nubian

nubian — noun

1. A person who comes from Nubia, a region in northeastern Africa along the Nile Ri

1.nounB2
Definition

A person who comes from Nubia, a region in northeastern Africa along the Nile River that covers parts of present-day southern Egypt and northern Sudan.

Example

Kwame met a Nubian who shared stories about life along the river.

countable singular: a Nubian

Many Nubians were displaced from their villages when the Aswan Dam was built.

Common collocations
  • Nubian community
  • Nubian family
  • displaced Nubians
  • Nubian heritage

Grammar Patterns

a Nubian

the Nubians (plural)

Usage Note

Often used in the plural form 'Nubians' when referring to the people as an ethnic group rather than to individuals.

2. A member of the powerful civilization that ruled over parts of present-day Egypt

2.nounC1
Definition

A member of the powerful civilization that ruled over parts of present-day Egypt and Sudan between roughly 500 and 1400 CE, known for building pyramids, controlling trade routes, and creating a distinct culture that blended African and Egyptian influences.

Example

The Nubians ruled a powerful empire that traded gold and ivory.

the Nubians — historical people as a collective group

Hamza learned that the ancient Nubians built more pyramids than the Egyptians did.

Common collocations
  • ancient Nubians
  • Nubian kingdom
  • Nubian civilization
  • Nubian empire
  • Nubian queen
Synonyms
  • Kushite

    More specific term for the earlier Kingdom of Kush (c. 1070 BC–350 AD); overlaps with Nubian for that period but does not cover the later medieval Nubian kingdoms

Grammar Patterns

the Nubians

ancient Nubians

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense refers specifically to the historical kingdom and civilization that existed between the 6th and 14th centuries, not to modern inhabitants of the Nubia region.

Common Mistakes

The Egyptians and Nubians were always enemies.
The Egyptians and Nubians had periods of both trade and conflict.
The relationship between these civilizations was complex and varied over time; they were not continuous enemies.

3. Any of a group of languages spoken mainly in southern Egypt and northern Sudan,

3.nounB2
Definition

Any of a group of languages spoken mainly in southern Egypt and northern Sudan, belonging to the Nilo-Saharan language family and still used by the Nubian people in daily communication, religious ceremonies, and traditional songs.

Example

Élise is studying Nubian at the university in Khartoum.

uncountable: studying Nubian (language as a subject)

Sivan's grandmother still speaks Nubian with her relatives in the village.

Common collocations
  • speak Nubian
  • Nubian language
  • dialects of Nubian
  • in Nubian
  • Nubian speaker

Grammar Patterns

speak Nubian

in Nubian

dialects of Nubian

Usage Note

Nubian is uncountable when referring to the language as a whole. Specific dialects include Nobiin, Kenzi (Mattokki), and Dongolawi (Andaandi). The most common learner pattern is 'speak Nubian'.

Word family

  • Nubia
    noun (place name)B1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Nubian, Sudanese, Egyptian, and Kushite all refer to peoples of the Nile region but differ in scope. Nubian refers specifically to people from the Nubia region (spanning southern Egypt and northern Sudan) or to the historical Nubian civilization. Sudanese refers to citizens of the modern nation of Sudan. Egyptian refers to citizens of modern Egypt. Kushite refers more narrowly to members of the ancient Kingdom of Kush (c. 1070 BC–350 AD), which was one of several Nubian kingdoms. For example, a person from Aswan might identify as Nubian but not Sudanese; a person from Khartoum is Sudanese but may not be Nubian. In historical writing, Nubian and Kushite are sometimes used interchangeably for periods when the Kingdom of Kush ruled over Egypt.

Nubian ↗Sudanese ↗Egyptian ↗Kushite

Common collocations

Prepositions

  • of Nubia

Etymology

EgyptianLatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'Nubian' comes from the ancient Egyptian word 'nub', meaning 'gold', because the Nubia region was famous for its gold mines in antiquity. The region was known to the ancient Egyptians as the 'Land of Gold'. The name entered English through Latin (Nubia) and French in the 16th and 17th centuries. The Nubian people and their languages have been recorded in historical texts from ancient Egypt, Greek, and Roman sources, though the modern English term 'Nubian' became widely used during European exploration of Africa.