hijra

¹ American  

[hij-ruh] / ˈhɪdʒ rə /

noun

1. a person whose gender identity is neither male nor female, typically a person who was assigned male at birth but whose gender expression is female.

2. a person who is transgender.

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Hijra ² American  

[hij-ruh] / ˈhɪdʒ rə /

Also Hijrah.

noun

(sometimes lowercase)

1. the flight of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina to escape persecution a.d. 622: regarded as the beginning of the Muslim Era.

2. the Muslim Era itself.

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hijra British  

/ ˈhɪdʒrə /

noun

1. (in India) a person who adopts a gender role that is neither male nor female

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Etymology

Origin of hijra¹

First recorded in 1835–40; from Hindi: “eunuch, hermaphrodite”

Origin of Hijra²

From the Arabic word hijrah flight, departure

Example Sentences

The hijra holds such importance in the history of Islam that the Islamic lunar calendar counts 622 CE as its first year.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

Aruvi, a transgender person in Hyderabad, started a “transkitchen” with the help of three friends from the queer community, who cooked food and delivered it to the hijra community and other marginalized groups.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 8, 2022

Transgenderism, intersex identity and the third gender, for example, have traditionally been a part of South Asian culture with the hijra or eunuch communities.

From BBC • Jun. 28, 2021

Many readers will remember that Arundhati Roy explored the lives of hijra in her swirling 2017 novel, “The Ministry of Utmost Happiness.”

From Washington Post • Jun. 15, 2020

Life in India is hard enough for a hijra, but the ones who suffer the most are like Ms. Karande, who doesn’t belong to a hijra community, said Ms. Mhaprolkar.

From New York Times • Dec. 19, 2013