Definition of mosque

The original Arabic word for a place of worship for Muslims is "masjid," which translates to "place of prostration." The word "mosque" is the English derivation of this term. As Muslim communities began to spread beyond the Arabian Peninsula and interact with non-Arabic speakers, they began to adopt local languages and linguistic practices. In Persian, Turkish, and other Central and West Asian languages, "masjid" evolved into "masjid" or "misk," from which the Turkish word "mescid" and the Persian "masjed" also stem. These variations all carry the same general meaning as the original Arabic word. Islam, however, spread much further afield, to East and Southeast Asia, where the Arabic word likely fell out of use. In Malay, which became the lingua franca of Southeast Asia during the historic Islamic spread, the Persian and Turkish loanwords for mosque evolved again to give "masjid" in Malay and Indonesian. It's possible that with the evolution of the phrase came a concomitant shift in meaning, with "masjid" possibly taking on additional connotations beyond simply a place for prayer. Today, the Malay words for mosque are "masjid" and "surau," which are often applied to different types of mosques based on their size or intended function. Outside of these regions, however, "mosque" is the universally understood term for a Muslim place of worship, particularly in English-speaking countries, where the word has become commonly and widely used. In conclusion, the word "mosque" is a linguistic evolution of the Arabic "masjid," with the term spreading to different parts of the world and mutating in conjunction with local languages. While the basic meaning has remained the same, the way in which the word functions in different cultures varies significantly.