sudan
sudan Lexical Profile
• noun
A country in Northeast Africa, bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, and South Sudan to the south.
A vast geographical region of savanna and woodland stretching across Africa, situated just south of the Sahel and extending from the west coast to the Ethiopian highlands.
"Historically, the western Sudan was home to powerful medieval trading empires such as Mali and Songhai."
Word Nuance & Usage
When referring to the country, 'Sudan' refers to the Republic of the Sudan; prior to 2011, it encompassed a much larger territory before the southern portion seceded to form South Sudan.
• Rhymes for sudan
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the Arabic expression 'bilād as-sūdān', meaning 'land of the blacks', which historically referred to the vast savanna region stretching across West and Central Africa south of the Sahara.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.