- Sudan
- 1842, from Arabic Bilad-al-sudan, lit. "country of the blacks," from sud, pl. of aswad (fem. sauda) "black."
- Darfur
- region in Sudan, named for its people, from Arabic dar, lit. "house" + Fur, ethnic name of the indigenous African population.
- mahdi
- 1792, from Arabic mahdiy, lit. "he who is guided aright," pp. of hada "to lead in the right way." Spiritual and temporal leader expected by some Muslims. Applied c.1880 to insurrectionary leaders in the Sudan who claimed to be him.