09 April 2010

Question of the Day - 9 April 2010

From which language does the word assassin come?

De quelle langue le mot assassin vient-il?

1 comment:

Skibbereen Eagle said...

Arabic; حشاشون \ جماعة الحشاشين
Originally the Nizari branch of the Ismā'īlī Shia under the instruction of Hassan-i Sabbāh (hence assassin)during the Middle Ages who were active in the fort of Alamut in Iran from the eighth to the fourteenth centuries. This group killed members of the Arab Abbasid, Seljuq and crusaders élite for political and religious reasons, but mostly targeted the Sunni Muslims. It was the religion of peace even then!