Termagant

For the racehorse, see Termagant (horse). For ships of the Royal Navy, see HMS Termagant.

In the Middle Ages, Termagant or Tervagant was the name given to a god which European Christians believed Muslims worshipped.[1][2]

Text from a manuscript of the Chanson de Guillaume: Tresque il vendreit de aurer Tervagant

The word is also used in modern English to mean a violent, overbearing, turbulent, brawling, quarrelsome woman; a virago, shrew, vixen.[1] In the past, the word could be applied to any person or thing personified, not just a woman.

  1. ^ a b "termagant". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  2. ^ Juferi, Mohd Elfie Nieshaem (September 20, 2005). "The Christian Missionaries & Their Lies About Muhammad". Bismika Allahuma. Retrieved November 14, 2023.