Wikipedia's first sentence called it “classical arabic for people who would now be called transgender women”. Today it says “term used in classical arabic and islamic cs”. The one-line description Wikipedia serves to search engines and AI systems read “Ambiguous sexuality in classic Arab culture”. It now reads “Ambiguous gender in classic Arab culture”.
Measured, not asserted. Every count, date and revision on this page was taken from Wikipedia's own history and checked against the live article. The words quoted are theirs.
Machine-checked against the full current article on 2026-08-03.
We saved snapshots of this article over twenty years; you are reading the 2025 one. Red dashes: removed from Wikipedia since.Pale dots: rewritten; the numbered note shows what it says now.Red text: written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot.1 tap a number or a side note to jump between them
The opening as it read in 2025
Mukhannath ( مُخَنَّث ; plural mukhannathun ( مُخَنَّثون ); "effeminate ones", "ones who resemble women") was a term used in Classical Arabic and Islamic literature to describe effeminate men or people with ambiguous sexual characteristics , who appeared feminine and functioned sexually or socially in roles typically carried out by women . Mukhannathun , especially those in the city of Medina , are mentioned throughout the ḥadīth literature and in the works of many early Arabic and Muslim writers. The historical role and gender identity of mukhannathun have been interpreted by predominantly Western academics of gender studies , Islamic studies , and social sciences as an ancient antecendent to the concept of transgender women in pre-modern Islamic societies . During the Rashidun era and first half of the Umayyad era , they were strongly associated with music and entertainment. During the Abbasid era , the word itself was used as a descriptor for men employed as dancers, musicians, and/or comedians. In later eras, the term mukhannath was associated with the receptive partner in gay sexual practices , an association that has persisted into the modern day. Khanith is a vernacular Arabic term used in some parts of the Arabian Peninsula to denote the gender role ascribed to males and occasionally intersex people who function sexually, and in some ways socially, as women. The term is closely related to the word mukhannath . Journal of the American Oriental Society . 111 (4). Women & Language . 41 (1): 97– 109. In Meisami, Julie Scott; Starkey, Paul (eds.). Encyclopedia of Arabic Literature .
This is Wikipedia's own text, saved in our repository. Their copy of it is revision 1278409921.
The opening as it stood in 2010
Mukhannathun (Arabic مخنثون "effeminate ones", "men who resemble women", singular mukhannath ) is classical Arabic for people who would now be called transgender women , perhaps poorly distinguished from eunuchs . Various "mukhannathun" appear in several hadith . In one hadith the prophet Muhammad banishes a mukhannath to a region near Medina , but prohibits people from killing him. They could be said to be Muslim transwomen accepted as they are "within the boundaries of Medina and Mecca". Outside of the religious text they are strongly associated with music and entertainment. Journal of the American Oriental Society . 111 (4). JSTOR 603399 . : Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= ( help )
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 369816272.
The opening as it stood in 2015 1 passage from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Mukhannathun (Arabic مخنثون "effeminate ones", "men who resemble women", singular mukhannath ) is classical Arabic for people who would now be called transgender women , perhaps poorly distinguished from eunuchs . Various "mukhannathun" appear in several hadith . In one hadith the Islamic prophet Muhammad banishes a mukhannath to a region near Medina , but prohibits people from killing them. They could be said to be Muslim trans women accepted as they are "within the boundaries of Medina and Mecca". Outside of the religious text they are strongly associated with music and entertainment. Journal of the American Oriental Society . 111 (4).
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 669545186.
The opening as it stood in 2020 6 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Mukhannathun ( مخنثون "effeminate ones", "men who resemble women", singular mukhannath ) was a term used in Classical Arabic to refer to men who were perceived as effeminate.Mukhannathun , especially those in the city of Medina , are mentioned throughout the ahadith and in the works of many early Arabic and Islamic writers.During the Rashidun era and first half of the Umayyad era, they were strongly associated with music and entertainment.During the Abbasid caliphate , the word itself was used as a descriptor for men employed as dancers, musicians, or comedians.In later eras, the term mukhannath was associated with the receptive partner in gay sexual practices , an association that has persisted into the modern day.Khanith is a vernacular Arabic term used in some parts of the Arabian Peninsula to denote the gender role ascribed to males who function sexually, and in some ways socially, as women.The term is closely related to the word mukhannath .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 963977677.
The opening as it stood on October 6, 2023 1 passage from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Ambiguous sexuality in classic Arab culture Mukhannath ( مُخَنَّث ; plural mukhannathun ( مُخَنَّثون ); "effeminate ones", "ones who resemble women") was a term used in Classical Arabic and Islamic literature to describe gender-variant people , and it has typically referred to effeminate men or people with ambiguous sexual characteristics, who appeared feminine and functioned sexually or socially in roles typically carried out by women .Mukhannathun , especially those in the city of Medina , are mentioned throughout the ḥadīth literature and in the works of many early Arabic and Islamic writers . During the Rashidun era and first half of the Umayyad era , they were strongly associated with music and entertainment. During the Abbasid caliphate , the word itself was used as a descriptor for men employed as dancers, musicians, and/or comedians. In later eras, the term mukhannath was associated with the receptive partner in gay sexual practices , an association that has persisted into the modern day. Khanith is a vernacular Arabic term used in some parts of the Arabian Peninsula to denote the gender role ascribed to males and occasionally intersex people who function sexually, and in some ways socially, as women. The term is closely related to the word mukhannath . Journal of the American Oriental Society . 111 (4).In Meisami, Julie Scott; Starkey, Paul (eds.).Encyclopedia of Arabic Literature .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1162397220.
Today
Wikipedia's first sentence called it “classical arabic for people who would now be called transgender women”. Today it says “term used in classical arabic and islamic cs”. The one-line description Wikipedia serves to search engines and AI systems read “Ambiguous sexuality in classic Arab culture”. It now reads “Ambiguous gender in classic Arab culture”. Read the current article and compare.
2010
2015
2020
Oct '23
2025
Counts in the opening at each snapshot. Green: the word gained ground. Red: it was cut. Grey: no change.
What Wikipedia says this is
Every article opens by defining its subject. This one was redefined since 2010, and today's defining sentence is their current revision.
Then
classical arabic for people who would now be called transgender women
Now
term used in classical arabic and islamic cs
Struck red text is no longer in the article; dotted amber text was rewritten. Every revision id links to Wikipedia's copy; the text shown is our own saved copy. Data: /data. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA; quoted for the record; not affiliated with Wikipedia.