Beja

American  

[bey-juh] / ˈbeɪ dʒə /

noun

plural

Bejas,

plural

Beja

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.

Etymology

Origin of Beja

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

Example Sentences

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

Barricades at the port and on the main road to Khartoum were being lifted from Monday morning for a month, said Abdallah Abushar, secretary for the High Beja Council, which imposed the blockade in September.

From Reuters • Nov. 1, 2021

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 stood there," says Isidore of Beja, "like solid walls or icebergs."

From A Popular History of France from the Earliest Times, Volume 1 by Guizot, M. (François)