Save Type Region Usage English, French, Italian, Spanish Pronounced Pron. sə-HAH-rə(English) sə-HEH-rə(English) SA-A-RA(French) sa-A-ra(Italian, Spanish) [key·IPA] Meaning & History Derived from Arabic صحارى (sahara) meaning "deserts", the plural of صحراء (sahra') meaning "desert". This is the name of a desert in Northern Africa.