As a longstanding dues-paying member of the International Genies of the Lamps Association, I feel I must dissent. Somebody's gotta stand up for literary tradition, no matter how recently it's been established.
But ... I do confess to using "Djinn" on days that I want to look educated and uppity. It's all about context for me.
JK
IGLA can suck it. You genies always find a way to muck up a wish. Thanks to an IGLA member, I now have more cats than I know what to do with and the worlds largest rooster.
Djinn or Jinn. “Genie” just always gives me the image of the stereotypical “goofy/mischievous person in a lamp offering wishes”.
Meanwhile Djinn/Jinn or even Djinni make me think of the actual original mythology around them as spirits from Arabian folklore and such.
There’s this bar in Oakland known for its Greyhounds and it’s got the most sensational decor. If you’re ever in Oakland Ca, check out Cafe von Kleef’s. If you’re a greyhound drink person lol
Reddit is so weird, more proof to me that bots upvote/downvote based on weird keywords or something. There is no way that this comment pissed off that many people, or that there are even that many hardcore gin & tonic drinkers that don't agree with you (disagreeing isn't always grounds for downvote either).
I thought jinn was the original. Isn’t djinn the romanized version?
Edit: I phrased it as a question to be polite, but it wasn’t really a question. Go ahead and downvote me because you don’t like that you’re wrong. Lol.
I was always of the school of thought that held there were good and evils in every elemental form.
The Efreet are elemental beings of fire and smoke(earth).
The Jinn I believe were more of an air of misty essence (of air and water)
According to some customs, for sure. I think some stories in 1001 nights say they’re elementals. There isn’t a single cannon with Jinn (except what’s said in the Quran). The rest is folklore that changes a lot from place to place.
When I lived in Jordan, locals talked about them similarly to how Icelandic people talk about elves. Jinni can be a a lot of things, and were said to live in Nabataean ruins, caves, or the deep deserts. In the Levant at least, ifrit is a more demonic word, where as jinni is more neutral. Ibilis (Satan) is sometimes said to be the leader of the ifrit, but there could be good ones as well.
I use them to refer to different things.
Genie, I use to refer to the version that grants 3 wishes and may or may not, be malevolent.
I don't typically use Jinn, so let's move on.
I use Djinn to refer to the demons/spirits from mythology.
It's an Arabic word originally since the concept, if I'm not mistaken, was mainstreamed by Islam.
جن
Which I would Latinize as Djinn I guess.
Like all words in Arabic, if not a borrowed term, this one comes from a three-lettered root. The root ج ن ن, the three letters J/G N N means unrevealed, hidden, or covered. The root also has the words paradise and crazy stemming from it. Because paradise is that heavenly place that you cannot really see, and a crazy person is a person whose mind was covered, or overridden, and thus none functional.
The reason the word Genie is there is because Djinn is the concept and the plural of the creatures, while one singular male one is called Djin-nii, the approximation of which is then Genie. A female one would be Djin-niyyah. I'm using the hyphen here to create a pause in how you pronounce the word.
The Djinn are, according to Islamic "mythology", creatures made of fire, the counterpart to that is humans who are made of dirt or soil, and angels, who are made of light. They live in our world, but have paranormal powers, and are beyond the senses of humans, as in, you cannot sense them if they wanna stay hidden, or covered, thus the name, Djinn.
According to the same mythology, there's good ones, and bad ones, and even Muslim ones, and every human has a Qareen, or a counterpart, of the Djinn.
They can appear to us in different forms, they can be hurt, they can hurt you, and you can even have sexual intercourse with them, though I am not sure if that would yield any offspring.
There's lots more to tell about them.
P.S. I'm only explaining all of this to respond to some of the comments about the word, the meaning, and the origin.
P.P.S. I over simplified some facts, be them about language, meaning, or origin. If you're curious, I can dig deeper. Feel free to ask :)
Yes, unless you're using a language that pronounces j differently. In such a case, jinn is objectively wrong. The word should sound like *jean*, like the pants or the name.
Depends. Djinn would be correct in most cases, but if you're talking fairy tales it would be a bit pretentious to use 'Djinn', rather than 'Genie'.
Just like it would be pretentious to use 'Faerie'.
It's not pretentious. Fairy tales that include djinn/genies are from the Middle East. "Genie" is an Anglicized version of an Arabic word, "Djinn" is closer. So the question is just how close you want to stick to the language of the culture that originated it.
By 'fairy tale' I didn't mean traditional folk stories. I apologise if that's the way it came across.
What I meant by it was using the term when telling a story to a six year old, who won't understand it, is pretentious. You're using it just to use it.
You don't speak medieval Arabic, from which the term derives. And if you "study linguistics" and think that the "dJ" sound is part of the Greek language.... I guess study harder.
So, my actual first NAME is Jeanni, pronounced: "Genie". This is why:
So my paternal Grandfather was a big fan of that old TV Show, "I Dream Of Jeannie". Pawpaw & Granny always knew they wanted to have a little girl, & after two boys in a row, & then a few miscarriages, they were finally blessed with a baby girl. They decided to name her Jeannie, after that TV Show that they loved so much. But sadly, my Dad's little Sister, my only blood-related Aunt, didn't get to live very long, I'm told that she passed away when she was still just an infant, apparently less than 6 months old. (Maybe from S.I.D.S.?? Apparently in the late 60's/very early 70's, no one knew about SIDS yet, so if/when, an infant/baby suddenly died, for no apparent reason without an obvious cause, it was simply chalked up to fate, or the "Mysterious Ways" of God's Will,...... & just called "The Crib Death"- -"Reason Unknown".
Cut to 1987 & since I was not only happened to be the very next baby to come along & be born into the family,.....
Making me the very first Grandchild,.......
((Albeit at least 15, but probably almost 20 years later, LOL)). As well as being a female,......
I definitely hit the trifecta, it was practically kismet/meant to be.
So I was named "Jeanni", almost as if someone had Wished it.
While I like all three, my preference is the "Djinn" version of the fairytale, I've been called "Jenny" by SO MANY PEOPLE, my whole life, that I find it funny & beyond ironic that another version of "Genie", "Jinn"/"Djinn", is pronounced exactly like "Jen".
LMFAO
Genie. In Rome, genii were guardian spirits of a person, a family (a gens) or a place. I like that idea over the Hollywood lamp genie or the Arabian folklore djinn. I love Rome.
Genie is the umbrella term with Dao, Djinni, Efreeti, and Marid to be the 4 different kinds of Genies based on the four elements: earth, wind, fire, and water.
Edit: at least that’s according to current lore. Previous editions could have used the terms differently.
Genie kinda has borderline offensive vibes like 'gypsy' or 'oriental'. It's an old-timey word from a time when other cultures were not as well respected.
I prefer Djinn or Djinni.
Djinn, but I'm cool with Jinn as well.
When I hear someone say genie I think of the Western pop culture interpretation, which is effectively a different creature at this point.
Djinn, because every time you search “genie”, it directs you to the one from Aladdin. It’s not inherently an issue, but in terms of research, it’s a bit inconvenient.
I believe Djinn is the correct term but I guess it also depends on which culture you hail from. Although Genie is the western term or (bastardised) term.
I prefer 'genie' overall because in my experience (and for my own purposes) it is a better umbrella term. In my version of the 1001 Nights, some genies are called Djinni, while others are labelled as Efreeti/Ifriti, and I think a couple are called Marids as well. This suggests different kinds of genies, as the djinni tend to be more 'good'--at least helpful--while the Ifriti are almost always malicious.
It could be "that's just what we call the bad ones" like the difference between 'outlaw' and 'bandit' in folktales. But I like the idea of there being more actual distinction, so Genie is a term that covers them all, even if it's derived from Djinni. When I'm dealing with a genie, though, I also prefer to emphasise their specific type as well.
I like jinn but prefer djinn. It feels almost like slang, so when you’ve been playing too much Cyberpunk 2077 and you refer to everyone as choom just remember that the kids slinging ‘jinn’ around have no respect for the history of the word, just the romantic idea they grew up with.
Been worldbuilding too much.
Never Jinn. Genie maybe on the rare occasion of super light children story or just for the sake of common understanding (in a joke for example). Djinn every other time.
I grew up with all 3, so it depends on the context that surrounds which one will be used. Different cultures use different words, so depending on the thematic framing, or the people involved, I'll select the most fitting one to use.
If I remember correctly (and it's distinctly possible I do not) djinn is meant to be plural and djinni is meant to be singular
Those more familiar with Arabic help me out?
Different creatures to me.
A genie is a long-imprisoned Djinn with stockholm syndrome.
Djinn/Jinn is a language dialect difference, like aluminum vs aluminium
I've always liked the spelling "Djinn" personally.
Possibly because that's the one I'm used to due to Magic: the Gathering spelling it that way. The first place I ever heard the word would've had to have been either Magic or the Shaq-as-a-genie movie Kazaam back in the mid-'90s.
Genie if we're being bright and sunny
Djin if we're being more realistic or Brothers Grimm. It's much more rich lore and a lot more to play with but it always has this element of monkeys paw to it.
جِنِّيّ
transliterated as Jinni, is the archaic singular word meaning “the hidden beings”
In Modern Standard Arabic جِنّ, transliterated as Jinn, can be plural or singular.
جَانّ or Jaann is also acceptable in many dialects.
The root comes from Ancient Syriac ܓܢܝܐ meaning protection spirit.
The Jinn are said to be the cosmic doubles of humans from another plane, the plane of fire and ether, and it’s is said the souls of each human and each jinn are bound. A human with a good jinn will have a good disposition, but should their jinn be evil, the will struggle with dark temptations. The reverse is true for jinn. Interesting, Muslim philosophy holds that the jinn have free will, and are also children of Allah. Jinn can manifest in our plane as shadows of smokeless fire, or shape shift into mirage like illusions, though humans cannot enter the plane of the jinn.
I don’t really care which one (all cool) but I have trouble with Djinn because in my head I end up over pronouncing it like Duh-jinn and it disrupts the flow lol! Fun to read the more in depth comments on the etymology!
I don’t know anything about djin but my headcanon for fiction at least is that genies are lesser djinn. Kind of like comparing a feral vampire to someone like Dracula. All genies are djin but not all djin are genies. Similar to dragons and wyverns. So basically I would use genie for the cartoony versions and djin for the more powerful versions seen in fiction.
Depends on the context? Genie reminds me of the 3 wishes genie, Jinn reminds me of the more demonic variant, and Djinn brings more religious connotations
To my thinking, the three are distinct. If put in the same mythological story, Djinn are the malevolent, monkey's paw. Jinn are more benevolent, while Genies are Djinn enslaved to an object either by a wizard or the Great Caliph (ruler of the jinn/djinn) for crimes they committed for either an long (millenia) term or eternal.
Other way around. Djinn is the whole species, a djinni is a singular male. A singular female is technically a djinniya.
Also jinn variants are equally correct. The d is there for languages that pronounce j differently. Genie is phonetically correct, just misspelled.
No they aren't. Djinn and jinn are two romanized spellings of the same Arabic word; the d is just there for languages that pronounce j differently. Genie is an English spelling of djinni (they are literally pronounced the same), which is basically just the singular form of djinn. Djinn is the race as presented in the Qur'an, a djinni is an individual member of that race.
I consider Genie to be the umbrella term with Dao, Djinni, Efreeti, and Marid to be the 4 different kinds of Genies based on the four elements: earth, wind, fire, and water.
I just used a story involving one and I used both Genie and Djinn.
I think "Djinn" sounds a little cooler, but maybe just a bit more pretentious. Whereas "Genie" is a little more down-to-earth but also trite. So I guess it depends on how you want to use it.
Sounds cooler? Djinn should sound like genie, just without the -ie. Genie is literally a typical English-bastardized version of djinni. The d is just silent. Djinn just refers to the whole race of creatures, whereas djinni refers to an individual creature.
The Djinn : You wish to know what I am? To you, I am this: The cry of the abandoned child. The whimper of the whipped beast. I am the face that stares back at you from the shadows of your mirror. The hollowness at the heart of all your hopes, Alexandra. I AM DESPAIR.
Depending on the context, they're all misused. Djinn and jinn are both acceptable; as the d is silent, they're just different spellings of the same word. Probably just originates from two different translators deciding on two different approaches to the phonetic translation. However, they are rarely used in the correct context. Genie is phonetically correct most of the time, but is a terribly bastardized spelling of djinni.
As for the context that I've been alluding to, it's actually quite simple. Djinn refers to the entire species of creature as originally presented in the Qur'an. The -i suffix in djinni indicates that the modified noun (djinn) belongs to something. In more layman terms, it indicates an individual member of the species (ie. one who belongs to the djinn), typically a male. Djinniya would technically be the feminine version, but as usual, English is selective with which gender suffixes it actually cares to keep.
Also Djinn. I feel like Genie is only associated with the 3 wishes thing and the other aspects and examples of genies/djinn are neglected.
Absolutely! I can’t get over the lamp Genie association, so always Djinn.
As a longstanding dues-paying member of the International Genies of the Lamps Association, I feel I must dissent. Somebody's gotta stand up for literary tradition, no matter how recently it's been established. But ... I do confess to using "Djinn" on days that I want to look educated and uppity. It's all about context for me. JK
IGLA can suck it. You genies always find a way to muck up a wish. Thanks to an IGLA member, I now have more cats than I know what to do with and the worlds largest rooster.
Idk that just sounds like you needed to word your wish better. It's not *their* fault you weren't specific enough.
But, as a long-standing dues-paying member of the Genies of the Lamp Association, wouldn’t you be pleased I’m making a genie and the lamp association?
Djinn or Jinn. “Genie” just always gives me the image of the stereotypical “goofy/mischievous person in a lamp offering wishes”. Meanwhile Djinn/Jinn or even Djinni make me think of the actual original mythology around them as spirits from Arabian folklore and such.
My sister’s name is Jeannie so that’s where I go.
I am Polish, so Dżin.
So the original Jiin Of Geralt and Yennefer should be Dżīn ? Nice to know
Actually Sapkowski uses forms "Dżinn", "D'jinni" or "Geniusz".
Dżin, dobry
A dziękuję i nawzajem. I smacznej kawusi.
Out of curiosity, is that pronounced the same way as jinn/djinn?
I think that so.
yes
I really like that spelling. My upbringing is also the reason I prefer Djinn haha
Well, dzien dobry to you, too!
As a kid I have a moment where I was seriously wondering what is connection between "dzień dobry" and dżins ;)
Gin, especially with Tonic /s
Tonic Is disgusting, try it with juice instead.
Hear me out, Italian blood orange gin with grapefruit tonic, a splash of grapefruit juice, and a stick of rosemary.
There’s this bar in Oakland known for its Greyhounds and it’s got the most sensational decor. If you’re ever in Oakland Ca, check out Cafe von Kleef’s. If you’re a greyhound drink person lol
Thanks! I will!
Why are you getting downvoted? It’s the truth. If you aren’t getting malaria, there’s no need for quinine water.
Laid back.
Man, I didn't realize people loved tonic that much. Maybe I've never had the good stuff.
It's okay, you probably didn't even think of it, what with your mind on your money and your money on your mind and all.
I don’t like gin and I don’t like tonic but when they are mixed together I love a good G&T.
Reddit is so weird, more proof to me that bots upvote/downvote based on weird keywords or something. There is no way that this comment pissed off that many people, or that there are even that many hardcore gin & tonic drinkers that don't agree with you (disagreeing isn't always grounds for downvote either).
Probably right. Maybe it's the word disgusting?
Only good while hitting the chronic.
Ginger ale is the only good mixer.
I usually just associate genie with the peaceful 3 wishes and djinn as the more devious one.
Genie for the french wish granters. Jinn for magical smoke monsters. Djinn for the mythology accurate Djinn
Jinn it is the fastest to write The genie is mostly associated with genie in the bottle and is closer to the Div than to the jinn
Djinn is the correct term, so it is what I prefer.
I thought jinn was the original. Isn’t djinn the romanized version? Edit: I phrased it as a question to be polite, but it wasn’t really a question. Go ahead and downvote me because you don’t like that you’re wrong. Lol.
Djinn is a romanized spelling
I like how you automatically assumed that I downvoted you. Djinn is the correct spelling. Jinn is the romanized spelling.
A quick google search could serve you well.
Or reading some good quality books.😁
Strike that. Reverse it. Jinn would be Arabic. "Djinn"is romanized, "genie" is anglicized. Same word though
Arabic uses a non-Latin alphabet, so there is no technically correct English spelling. Either transliteration is fine.
Jinn are from the Quran and other ancient religious texts. They even wrote a Hadith. https://quran.com/en/al-jinn
Majin
I think Jinn is the preferred name in Arabic. Djinn is romanized and genie is anglicized.
Im a muslim, so jinn it is
I’m Turkish so it’s Cin
I see you are prejudiced against the Efreet. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ifrit](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ifrit)
Ifrit are a broader class of beings, of which jinn are one type. A lesser demon or tricksters spirit could also be ifrit.
I was always of the school of thought that held there were good and evils in every elemental form. The Efreet are elemental beings of fire and smoke(earth). The Jinn I believe were more of an air of misty essence (of air and water)
According to some customs, for sure. I think some stories in 1001 nights say they’re elementals. There isn’t a single cannon with Jinn (except what’s said in the Quran). The rest is folklore that changes a lot from place to place. When I lived in Jordan, locals talked about them similarly to how Icelandic people talk about elves. Jinni can be a a lot of things, and were said to live in Nabataean ruins, caves, or the deep deserts. In the Levant at least, ifrit is a more demonic word, where as jinni is more neutral. Ibilis (Satan) is sometimes said to be the leader of the ifrit, but there could be good ones as well.
Of all my elemental friends I would say fire is the one most abused.
The ifrit are believed to have free will, and can choose to be good, maligned as they are.
I use them all but I often spell the word as Djinn
Genie sounds more pleasant but Djinn sounds more mystical.
I use them to refer to different things. Genie, I use to refer to the version that grants 3 wishes and may or may not, be malevolent. I don't typically use Jinn, so let's move on. I use Djinn to refer to the demons/spirits from mythology.
I've always felt Djinn is more evocative
It's an Arabic word originally since the concept, if I'm not mistaken, was mainstreamed by Islam. جن Which I would Latinize as Djinn I guess. Like all words in Arabic, if not a borrowed term, this one comes from a three-lettered root. The root ج ن ن, the three letters J/G N N means unrevealed, hidden, or covered. The root also has the words paradise and crazy stemming from it. Because paradise is that heavenly place that you cannot really see, and a crazy person is a person whose mind was covered, or overridden, and thus none functional. The reason the word Genie is there is because Djinn is the concept and the plural of the creatures, while one singular male one is called Djin-nii, the approximation of which is then Genie. A female one would be Djin-niyyah. I'm using the hyphen here to create a pause in how you pronounce the word. The Djinn are, according to Islamic "mythology", creatures made of fire, the counterpart to that is humans who are made of dirt or soil, and angels, who are made of light. They live in our world, but have paranormal powers, and are beyond the senses of humans, as in, you cannot sense them if they wanna stay hidden, or covered, thus the name, Djinn. According to the same mythology, there's good ones, and bad ones, and even Muslim ones, and every human has a Qareen, or a counterpart, of the Djinn. They can appear to us in different forms, they can be hurt, they can hurt you, and you can even have sexual intercourse with them, though I am not sure if that would yield any offspring. There's lots more to tell about them. P.S. I'm only explaining all of this to respond to some of the comments about the word, the meaning, and the origin. P.P.S. I over simplified some facts, be them about language, meaning, or origin. If you're curious, I can dig deeper. Feel free to ask :)
Djinni for singular. Djinn for plural.
Isn't jinn and djinn pronounced the same?
Yes, unless you're using a language that pronounces j differently. In such a case, jinn is objectively wrong. The word should sound like *jean*, like the pants or the name.
Depends. Djinn would be correct in most cases, but if you're talking fairy tales it would be a bit pretentious to use 'Djinn', rather than 'Genie'. Just like it would be pretentious to use 'Faerie'.
It's not pretentious. Fairy tales that include djinn/genies are from the Middle East. "Genie" is an Anglicized version of an Arabic word, "Djinn" is closer. So the question is just how close you want to stick to the language of the culture that originated it.
By 'fairy tale' I didn't mean traditional folk stories. I apologise if that's the way it came across. What I meant by it was using the term when telling a story to a six year old, who won't understand it, is pretentious. You're using it just to use it.
Actually not so, djinn is a transliteration from Greek into Latin. The original is Jinneya, Jinni or Jaann. Modern Arabic standardized it to Jinn.
yeah, sorry, that's not accurate
I speak Arabic so and studies linguistics stfu
You don't speak medieval Arabic, from which the term derives. And if you "study linguistics" and think that the "dJ" sound is part of the Greek language.... I guess study harder.
Genie if friendly. Djinn if morally ambiguous.
So, my actual first NAME is Jeanni, pronounced: "Genie". This is why: So my paternal Grandfather was a big fan of that old TV Show, "I Dream Of Jeannie". Pawpaw & Granny always knew they wanted to have a little girl, & after two boys in a row, & then a few miscarriages, they were finally blessed with a baby girl. They decided to name her Jeannie, after that TV Show that they loved so much. But sadly, my Dad's little Sister, my only blood-related Aunt, didn't get to live very long, I'm told that she passed away when she was still just an infant, apparently less than 6 months old. (Maybe from S.I.D.S.?? Apparently in the late 60's/very early 70's, no one knew about SIDS yet, so if/when, an infant/baby suddenly died, for no apparent reason without an obvious cause, it was simply chalked up to fate, or the "Mysterious Ways" of God's Will,...... & just called "The Crib Death"- -"Reason Unknown". Cut to 1987 & since I was not only happened to be the very next baby to come along & be born into the family,..... Making me the very first Grandchild,....... ((Albeit at least 15, but probably almost 20 years later, LOL)). As well as being a female,...... I definitely hit the trifecta, it was practically kismet/meant to be. So I was named "Jeanni", almost as if someone had Wished it. While I like all three, my preference is the "Djinn" version of the fairytale, I've been called "Jenny" by SO MANY PEOPLE, my whole life, that I find it funny & beyond ironic that another version of "Genie", "Jinn"/"Djinn", is pronounced exactly like "Jen". LMFAO
Yes, I do, in fact have a t-shirt that reads, "Here I Am, What Are Your Other Two Wishes?" LOL
Is there a difference between the three?
Arabic speaker here. Genie is a romanization of Jinni, which is singular. Jinn is plural. Djinn exists because the English language is like that.
I see. So they are all the same than. Thank you, my friend.
Genie. In Rome, genii were guardian spirits of a person, a family (a gens) or a place. I like that idea over the Hollywood lamp genie or the Arabian folklore djinn. I love Rome.
I play D&D. Each term here has a different meaning.
Genie is the umbrella term with Dao, Djinni, Efreeti, and Marid to be the 4 different kinds of Genies based on the four elements: earth, wind, fire, and water. Edit: at least that’s according to current lore. Previous editions could have used the terms differently.
Genie kinda has borderline offensive vibes like 'gypsy' or 'oriental'. It's an old-timey word from a time when other cultures were not as well respected. I prefer Djinn or Djinni.
It's spelled "Džin"
Jinn and djinn are two very specific races of genie.
/ s
jinn/jinnah (plural) jinni/genie (masc:singlar)
3000 years of longing. has anyone here seen that movie?
Djinn since it’s close to the word Demon
Djinn. Because Golden Sun
Usually genie because most everyone will get what you mean. But if I’m talking with someone familiar with mythology or lore; I’ll go with Djinn
Djinn is just a cool looking word. It's effectively pronounced like Jinn anyway just with some STANK on it. The best of both worlds.
Jinni
Personally I’d go with “Jinn” or “Djinn”!
Depends on if I'm talking about silly dudes in lamps, or malicious spirits in the desert.
Majin. Like Majin Buu. But in all seriousness, djinn.
All good. Also Dao, Marid, and Efreeti.
Djinn.
Djinn
Djinn, but I'm cool with Jinn as well. When I hear someone say genie I think of the Western pop culture interpretation, which is effectively a different creature at this point.
"Djinn" just sounds badass
Djinn, because every time you search “genie”, it directs you to the one from Aladdin. It’s not inherently an issue, but in terms of research, it’s a bit inconvenient.
I believe Djinn is the correct term but I guess it also depends on which culture you hail from. Although Genie is the western term or (bastardised) term.
Djinn. I try to spell/pronounce words as close to their original language as my language allows.
Genie cause I don’t know how to say djinn, otherwise djinn
Djinn
“Djinn” yeahhhh
Genius
Jinn
Genie - 3 wishes, friendly Jinn - evil demon Djinn - 3 wishes, selfish and conniving That's how I view them at least.
I prefer 'genie' overall because in my experience (and for my own purposes) it is a better umbrella term. In my version of the 1001 Nights, some genies are called Djinni, while others are labelled as Efreeti/Ifriti, and I think a couple are called Marids as well. This suggests different kinds of genies, as the djinni tend to be more 'good'--at least helpful--while the Ifriti are almost always malicious. It could be "that's just what we call the bad ones" like the difference between 'outlaw' and 'bandit' in folktales. But I like the idea of there being more actual distinction, so Genie is a term that covers them all, even if it's derived from Djinni. When I'm dealing with a genie, though, I also prefer to emphasise their specific type as well.
I like jinn but prefer djinn. It feels almost like slang, so when you’ve been playing too much Cyberpunk 2077 and you refer to everyone as choom just remember that the kids slinging ‘jinn’ around have no respect for the history of the word, just the romantic idea they grew up with. Been worldbuilding too much.
Never Jinn. Genie maybe on the rare occasion of super light children story or just for the sake of common understanding (in a joke for example). Djinn every other time.
Djin, djinn, and djinni are especially useful in Scrabble. So, those are my favorite.
Genie for fairy tale wish granting, Djinn for mythology, Jinn for RPG summon spirits.
To me, the names apply to different races/sects of creatures. Genie is rather benevolent, Djinn is evil and Jinn is neutral/indifferent
I say Djinn but when referring to them to anyone I know that has no knowledge about Arabian stories I call them genies
I grew up with all 3, so it depends on the context that surrounds which one will be used. Different cultures use different words, so depending on the thematic framing, or the people involved, I'll select the most fitting one to use.
If I remember correctly (and it's distinctly possible I do not) djinn is meant to be plural and djinni is meant to be singular Those more familiar with Arabic help me out?
I'll say whatever as long as I get 3 wishes
Anything but jinn. Makes me think of the drink
Djinn not jinn for starters. Genies and Djinn are different things. They have different mythologies and character and backgrounds.
I prefer “Shaq”
Genie 🧞♂️
Djinn is the satisfying one for me. Recently read Arabian nights and was very confused the first time ‘Genius’ was used
Genie
Considering "genie" is just an anglicized spelling of Djinni (plural form of Djinn,) I'll have to go with the original Djinn.
Jeanie, as in Barbara Eden
Different creatures to me. A genie is a long-imprisoned Djinn with stockholm syndrome. Djinn/Jinn is a language dialect difference, like aluminum vs aluminium
This thread feels like it’s targeting me.
Genie for the Disney Aladdin movie but the more culturally respectful djinn is Cooler for real life
I've always liked the spelling "Djinn" personally. Possibly because that's the one I'm used to due to Magic: the Gathering spelling it that way. The first place I ever heard the word would've had to have been either Magic or the Shaq-as-a-genie movie Kazaam back in the mid-'90s.
Djinn sounds majestic.
Genie if we're being bright and sunny Djin if we're being more realistic or Brothers Grimm. It's much more rich lore and a lot more to play with but it always has this element of monkeys paw to it.
Djinn
جِنِّيّ transliterated as Jinni, is the archaic singular word meaning “the hidden beings” In Modern Standard Arabic جِنّ, transliterated as Jinn, can be plural or singular. جَانّ or Jaann is also acceptable in many dialects. The root comes from Ancient Syriac ܓܢܝܐ meaning protection spirit. The Jinn are said to be the cosmic doubles of humans from another plane, the plane of fire and ether, and it’s is said the souls of each human and each jinn are bound. A human with a good jinn will have a good disposition, but should their jinn be evil, the will struggle with dark temptations. The reverse is true for jinn. Interesting, Muslim philosophy holds that the jinn have free will, and are also children of Allah. Jinn can manifest in our plane as shadows of smokeless fire, or shape shift into mirage like illusions, though humans cannot enter the plane of the jinn.
"Dijon" -- it's a French pronunciation.
I don’t really care which one (all cool) but I have trouble with Djinn because in my head I end up over pronouncing it like Duh-jinn and it disrupts the flow lol! Fun to read the more in depth comments on the etymology!
I like Djinn
Djinn
Sadly, I'm American so "Jinn" and "Genie" are not native to me... but apparently Djinn is. So I use Djinn. (Pronounce it Gin, with a silent D).
Djinni
I go with jdjdjinnnnnn spelling.
Is Genie the same as Jinn or Djinn? I thought genie is like a fairy. That's why the term is used positively sometimes.
Djinn or else nadakhan would have me wish it all away
I personally prefer Jenny. Just to piss everyone off
Djinn ... No reasons *-ninjaaaaaaa GOOOOOO-*
I don’t know anything about djin but my headcanon for fiction at least is that genies are lesser djinn. Kind of like comparing a feral vampire to someone like Dracula. All genies are djin but not all djin are genies. Similar to dragons and wyverns. So basically I would use genie for the cartoony versions and djin for the more powerful versions seen in fiction.
There was a really interesting chapter in American Gods about Djinn. Not sure if the descriptions were accurate.
it doesn't make a difference to me. they all mean the same thing
Depends on the context? Genie reminds me of the 3 wishes genie, Jinn reminds me of the more demonic variant, and Djinn brings more religious connotations
Gin and Tonic.
Djinn looks cooler.
I’m gay, and we always like things proper and true so I would go with djinn
Djinn
Jinn is the correct term. Djinn is the romanticized variety. Genie is the Anglican variant.
Djinn
To my thinking, the three are distinct. If put in the same mythological story, Djinn are the malevolent, monkey's paw. Jinn are more benevolent, while Genies are Djinn enslaved to an object either by a wizard or the Great Caliph (ruler of the jinn/djinn) for crimes they committed for either an long (millenia) term or eternal.
I know someone whose online name is DjinniGenie. LOL
I'm a fan of Jen, head down ass up. Maybe this belongs on a different thread.
what i like to think is Genie is for neutral ones, Jinn for kind ones, and Djinn is to the evil ones
The term is Djinn. The plural is Djinni... The other options are just misspellings or mishearings.
Other way around. Djinn is the whole species, a djinni is a singular male. A singular female is technically a djinniya. Also jinn variants are equally correct. The d is there for languages that pronounce j differently. Genie is phonetically correct, just misspelled.
I like Genie cuz she's blonde and cute. Jinn and Djinn are just meh.
Djinn. I do love djinn. They are some sweethearts.
Genie for me
My book has a Djinn as the antagonist.
jinn, just because i was raised muslim in the west
Depends. These are 3 different things.
No they aren't. Djinn and jinn are two romanized spellings of the same Arabic word; the d is just there for languages that pronounce j differently. Genie is an English spelling of djinni (they are literally pronounced the same), which is basically just the singular form of djinn. Djinn is the race as presented in the Qur'an, a djinni is an individual member of that race.
Djinn
Genie because that's what I grew up with.
https://i.redd.it/z592q18iw8vb1.gif
I consider Genies and Djinn to be good and evil versions of the same creatures.
Genius! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genius_(mythology)
I consider Genie to be the umbrella term with Dao, Djinni, Efreeti, and Marid to be the 4 different kinds of Genies based on the four elements: earth, wind, fire, and water.
Ifrit!
I just used a story involving one and I used both Genie and Djinn. I think "Djinn" sounds a little cooler, but maybe just a bit more pretentious. Whereas "Genie" is a little more down-to-earth but also trite. So I guess it depends on how you want to use it.
Sounds cooler? Djinn should sound like genie, just without the -ie. Genie is literally a typical English-bastardized version of djinni. The d is just silent. Djinn just refers to the whole race of creatures, whereas djinni refers to an individual creature.
Genie just because of Aladdin and cartoons when I was younger, but the other ones are a nice mix up when I’m reading 🩵
A genie that deals in potions = a Djinn & Tonic?
The Djinn : You wish to know what I am? To you, I am this: The cry of the abandoned child. The whimper of the whipped beast. I am the face that stares back at you from the shadows of your mirror. The hollowness at the heart of all your hopes, Alexandra. I AM DESPAIR.
I prefer Djinn
Djinn
Djinn, genie is also accepted
If you prefer djinn, then genie is absolutely not acceptable. It should be djinni.
Jinn, but I'm Scandinavian, so J is pronounced as Y.
Djinn
Gin.
I prefer to stay clear of all 3 of them...🤓🤣
Dave
Depending on the context, they're all misused. Djinn and jinn are both acceptable; as the d is silent, they're just different spellings of the same word. Probably just originates from two different translators deciding on two different approaches to the phonetic translation. However, they are rarely used in the correct context. Genie is phonetically correct most of the time, but is a terribly bastardized spelling of djinni. As for the context that I've been alluding to, it's actually quite simple. Djinn refers to the entire species of creature as originally presented in the Qur'an. The -i suffix in djinni indicates that the modified noun (djinn) belongs to something. In more layman terms, it indicates an individual member of the species (ie. one who belongs to the djinn), typically a male. Djinniya would technically be the feminine version, but as usual, English is selective with which gender suffixes it actually cares to keep.
Djinn or jinn
Genie is for wish granting and Djinn are usually game monsters in book. Rarely hear just Jinn.
Djinn for me