املا

Persian

Alternative forms

• املی (imlē / emli) (archaic)
• املاء (imlā' / emlâ')

Etymology

Etymology tree

Arabic أَمْلَى (ʔamlā)

Arabic إِمْلَاء (ʔimlāʔ)bor.

Persian املا

Borrowed from Arabic إِمْلَاء (ʔimlāʔ), from أَمْلَى (ʔamlā).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): /ʔim.ˈlaː/

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔɪm.lɑː]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔɪm.lɑː]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [ʔɪm.lɑː]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [ʔim.lɔː]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔem.lɒː]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔim.lɔ]

• Rhymes: -aː

Readings
Classical reading?	imlā
Dari reading?	imlā
Iranian reading?	emlâ
Tajik reading?	imlo

Noun

املا • (imlā / emlâ) (Tajik spelling имло)

1. spelling, orthography
2. dictation

Urdu

Etymology

Borrowed from Classical Persian اِمْلَا (imlā), from Arabic إِمْلَاء (ʔimlāʔ).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /ɪm.lɑː/

Noun

اِمْلا • (imlā) m (Hindi spelling इम्ला)

1. spelling, orthography
2. material used on bricks, paints

References

• “املا”, in اُردُو لُغَت (urdū luġat) (in Urdu), Ministry of Education: Government of Pakistan, 2017.
• “املا”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2026.