Arabia Felix
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Felix is a mistranslation by Ptolemy of Yemen, which means to the "right*' — i.e. of Mecca.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Arabia Felix” mean?
Felix is a mistranslation by Ptolemy of Yemen, which means to the "right*' — i.e. of Mecca.
Is “Arabia Felix” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.