Stony Arabia
Preserved but no longer current.
A mistranslation of Arabia Petraa, where Petraea is supposed to be an adjective formed from the Greek petros (a stone) . The name is really taken from the city of Petra, the capital of the Nabathssans. Cp. YEMEN.
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 “Stony Arabia” mean?
A mistranslation of Arabia Petraa, where Petraea is supposed to be an adjective formed from the Greek petros (a stone) . The name is really taken from the city of Petra, the capital of the Nabathssans. Cp. YEMEN.
Is “Stony Arabia” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.