Beja

American  

[bey-juh] / ˈbeɪ dʒə /

noun

Bejas plural

1. a member of a group of nomadic, predominantly Muslim peoples of Sudan, Egypt, and Eritrea.

2. the Cushitic language of the Beja.

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adjective

1. of or relating to a group of nomadic, predominantly Muslim people of Sudan, Egypt, and Eritrea.

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• Bejas
  plural
• Beja
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Beja

First recorded in 1810–20; from Arabic Bijā, the name for this people

Example Sentences

Fires also broke out in other regions of the country including Bizerte, Beja and Siliana regions.

From Reuters • Jul. 25, 2023

Ezana conducted successful military engagements against the Beja and Nubian people, subduing the Kingdom of Kush that had ruled southern Egypt for at least the previous millennium.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

Before the coup, the Beja began organising crippling protests at the busy port in Port Sudan, from where the country's oil is exported, to drive home their demands.

From BBC • Dec. 3, 2022

This week, members of the Beja tribe blocked Port Sudan, the biggest port, and cut off highways leading to the city.

From New York Times • Sep. 21, 2021

They were now on the outskirts of the undulating plain, on which a rich soil overlying the granite rocks extends from Evora southward to the city of Beja.

From The Actress in High Life An Episode in Winter Quarters by Bowen, Sue Petigru