Name and Pronunciation:

The Hijazi people of Jeddah pronounce its name 'Jiddah' with an 'I' sound and emphasis on the'd'. However, sometimes in the Arab media, it is pronounced 'Jaddah' with an 'a' sound. Because of the presence of large communities from several Arab and non-Arab countries in the city, each community has a way of pronouncing the city's name, although this difference is not significant and sometimes unnoticeable.

There are three different views regarding the origin of the city's name:

• 'Jiddah' with an 'I': it is said that Jeddah was named after the Sheikh (head) of the tribe of Quda'ah, whose name was 'Jiddah bin Jarm bin Rayyan bin Helwan bin Ali bin Issac bin Quda'ah'. Their ancestry goes back to the ninth grandfather of the Prophet of God Muhammad ibn Abdullah (May Peace Be Upon Him).
• 'Joddah' with a 'o': it is also said that the name of this city is 'Joddah', which means "seaside" in Arabic. This is the name mentioned by Yaqout Al-Hamawi in his book 'Mo'jam Al-Buldan' (Dictionaries of Countries) and is also mentioned by Ibn Battuta in his journey.
• 'Jaddah' with an 'a': there is also the view that the name is 'Jaddah', which means "maternal or paternal grandmother". The people of this city attribute the city's naming to Hawa'a or 'Eve'-mother of all humans, who they believe is buried in the city. They believe this is where she landed from heaven, while Adam is believed to have landed in India and they later met on Mount Arafat. There is a cemetery in the city known as 'Maqbarat Ummana Hawa'a' ('Cemetery of Our Mother Eve').

The Language of the People of Jeddah:

The Arabic Language.

The Dialect:

The dialect spoken in Jeddah is called the Hijazi Dialect spoken in the urban cities of Makkah, Medina, Jeddah, Yanbu, and the old Ta'if. This dialect is distinguished by its flexibility and unpretentiousness. The letters 'th' (as in thirst) and 'th' (as in father) do not have any presence as the first is pronounced 't' and the latter 'z'. Some of the words in this dialect are derived from an old form of Classical Arabic, while others are translated into Arabic. However, it could be said that the rest of the Arab dialects have had some impact on the construction of the Hijazi Dialect due to the existence of Makkah and Medina and the arrival of groups of pilgrims, Umrah performers, and visitors from around the Arab countries and the world.

Some of the most common Hijazi words and their pronunciation:

• 'Daheen' = now
• 'Hada' = this
• 'Aysh' = What
• 'Ehna' = We
• 'Humma' = They
• 'Hadola' = These
• 'Adeelo' = give him
• 'Ishbak' = what's up with you