# Abassian
## English
### Alternative forms

* Abyssian

### Etymology

From Abassia +‎ -an.

### Adjective

Abassian (not comparable)
* (now historical and rare) Synonym of Abyssinian.
** 1679, Richard Baxter, “Mr. Iohnson’s (alias Terret’s) Explication of seven Terms of our Questions examined, and his confusion manifested”, in Which Is the True Church? The Whole Christian World, as Headed Only by Christ, (of Which the Reformed Are the Soundest Part) or, the Pope of Rome and His Subjects as Such? […], London: […] Richard Ianeway, […], →OCLC, chapter I, page 10:Did the Eunuch converted by Philip, Act. 8. or the Jaylor and Lydia converted by Paul, Act. 16. or the 3000 converted by Peter, Act. 2. receive faith on the authority of the Catholick Church? Or the Indians when converted by Frumentius and Edeſus? or the Abaſſian Empire that till lately knew nothing of the Pope and his pretenſions?
** 1854, Max Müller, “Abassians”, in Suggestions for the Assistance of Officers in Learning the Languages of the Seat of War in the East. […], London: Longman, Brown, Green, & Longmans, […], page 120:The chief Abassian tribes in the northern parts of the Caucasus, and south of the Kuban, lie from east to west; […]
** 1872, Richard F[rancis] Burton, “Preparations for Departure”, in Zanzibar; City, Island, and Coast. […], volume II, London: Tinsley Brothers, […], →OCLC, page 6:And there behold the lakes wherein the Nile is born, a truth the ancients never knew; see how he bathes, ’gendering the crocodile, th’ Abassian land, where man to Christ is true.Translating Os Lusíadas (canto X, stanza 95) by Luís de Camões.

### Noun

Abassian (plural Abassians)
* (now historical and rare) Synonym of Abyssinian.
** 1613, Samuel Purchas, “[Relations of the Regions and Religions in Africa.] Of other Countries betweene the Redde Sea and Benomotapa.”, in Purchas His Pilgrimage. Or Relations of the World and the Religions Observed in All Ages and Places Discouered, from the Creation vnto this Present. […], London: […] William Stansby for Henrie Fetherstone, […], →OCLC, book VII (Of Æthiopia, and the African Ilands; and of Their Religions), page 572:Adea payeth tribute to the Abaſſian. In this Kingdome is Magadazzo [i.e., Mogadishu], being it ſelfe a pettie Kingdome of the Moores, which are of an Oliue colour.
** 1679, Richard Baxter, “The Third Part: A Defence of my Arguments to prove, That the Church of which the Protestants are members, hath been visible ever since the daies of Christ on Earth”, in Which Is the True Church? The Whole Christian World, as Headed Only by Christ, (of Which the Reformed Are the Soundest Part) or, the Pope of Rome and His Subjects as Such? […], London: […] Richard Ianeway, […], →OCLC, chapter I, page 155:And the Abaſſians that received the Goſpel from the Eunuch and St. Matthew, being before too much addicted to ſome Jewiſh ceremonies and never cured of them, retain them as by Tradition to this day.
** 1854, Max Müller, “Abassians”, in Suggestions for the Assistance of Officers in Learning the Languages of the Seat of War in the East. […], London: Longman, Brown, Green, & Longmans, […], page 120:The Abassians have occupied their present seats on the Black Sea at least since the Christian era.
** 2007, Evelyn Edson, “Fra Mauro: The Debate on the Map”, in The World Map, 1300–1492: The Persistence of Tradition and Transformation, Baltimore, Md.: The Johns Hopkins University Press, →ISBN, page 154:The Abassians [Abyssinians] say that they have more territory above the source of the Nile than below, that is, toward us.Translating Fra Mauro.

### References

* ↑ “Abassian, adj. and n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.