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Definition of Nabataean in English:

Nabataean

noun

(also Nabatean)

  • 1A member of an ancient Arabian people who from 312 BC formed an independent kingdom with its capital at Petra (now in Jordan).

    ‘Petra is the legendary ancient city of the Nabateans, which was rediscovered by a Swiss explorer in 1812.’
    • ‘Within the gaunt pinnacles, in colours that represent ores and igneous rock, Ancient Egyptians, Semites and Nabataeans have left evidence of passage.’
    • ‘Petra, in what is now southern Jordan, was the Washington and New York City of the Nabataeans, the capital city and cultural center of a powerful nation built on the spice trade.’
    • ‘The same conditions that challenged the Nabataeans complicate conservation efforts at the Petra site today.’
    • ‘Petra was founded as a trading centre by a people called the Nabateans.’

  • 2The Aramaic dialect of the Nabataeans, strongly influenced by Arabic.

Pronunciation

Nabataean

/ˌnabəˈtēən/ /ˌnæbəˈtiən/

adjective

(also Nabatean)

  • Relating to the Nabataeans or their language.

    ‘A notable achievement of Nabataean technology was their elaborate network for water collection, storage, and distribution in their cities, as well as for agricultural use throughout the kingdom.’
    • ‘There are few locations in Egypt where evidence of Ancient Egyptian, Semitic and Nabataean culture overlap.’
    • ‘This ancient Nabatean city is so rich in history that everyday something new is being discovered.’
    • ‘The port also serves as the ideal base for visiting Petra, the ancient Nabatean city carved into the russet sandstone hills.’
    • ‘The Arabic alphabet, which was likely derived from Aramaic and Nabataean scripts, probably originated in the fourth century AD.’

Pronunciation

Nabataean

/ˌnabəˈtēən/ /ˌnæbəˈtiən/

Origin

From Latin Nabat(h)aeus, Greek Nabat(h)aios (compare with the Arabic adjective Nabaṭī ‘relating to the Nabataeans’) + -an.