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Sa·har·a

(sə-hârə, -harə, -härə)

A vast desert of northern Africa extending east from the Atlantic coast to the Red Sea and south from the Atlas Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea to the Sahel. About 5,000 to 10,000 years ago, the Sahara was a region of savanna vegetation and extensive surface water, most of which had disappeared by Roman times. Introduction of the camel (probably in the first century AD) led to occupation by nomadic tribes who moved from oasis to oasis in search of water.

Sa·haranadj. & n.

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Sahara

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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