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Origin and history of Sabean

Sabean(n.)

also Sabaean, an inhabitant of the region of Arabia now known as Yemen, from Latin Sabaeus, from Greek Sabaios "the people of Saba" (which the ancients believed to be a city), from Arabic Saba', a name variously explained in Biblical literature. The tribes are mentioned obscurely in the Bible (Hebrew Sheba). In ancient times it was an important transit route to Europe for spices, perfumes, and precious stones from India.

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Trends of Sabean

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

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