عالم

Arabic

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Aramaic עָלְמָא / ܥܳܠܡܳܐ (ʿāləmā) or Hebrew עוֹלָם (ʿōlām), possibly from Akkadian 𒂖𒆷𒈬𒌋𒀀 (/⁠ellamu, illamu⁠/, “front, before; both temporally and in location; coming before your time or being currently physically before you now”).

The pattern فَاعَل (fāʕal) is considered originally foreign to Arabic and Ethiopic, occurring only in likely loanwords such as طَابَع (ṭābaʕ), خَاتَم (ḵātam), فَالَج (fālaj). It should be noted some of these loans are suspected to be early, such as خَاتَم (ḵātam) being present in Old Arabian Inscriptions and عَالَم (ʕālam) retaining the sound masculine plural ending in spite of being treated as a non-human plural; a feature that suggests it existed prior to the restriction of such a use exclusively for male humans; whereas one group renders a known suffix, as in طَابَق (ṭābaq) and سَاذَج (sāḏaj) the ending of which became Classical Persian ـه (-a). Nautically, even Dravidian borrowings with this measure like طَالَم (ṭālam) are possible early. Consequently due to its early appearance, the فَاعَل (fāʕal) pattern has since become a sparsely used coined pattern in its own right, typically however still being reserved for loanwords using the structure of these earlier loans as their basis; for example the later loan طَاقَم (ṭāqam).

Alternative forms

• عٰلَم (ʕālam)

Noun

عَالَم • (ʕālam) m (plural عَالَمُون (ʕālamūn) or عَوَالِم (ʕawālim))

1. world
2. universe, cosmos, existence
3. things, creation, that which exists before you
4. nation, people, group, type, or kind

Declension

Declension of noun عَالَم (ʕālam)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	عَالَم ʕālam	الْعَالَم al-ʕālam	عَالَم ʕālam
Nominative	عَالَمٌ ʕālamun	الْعَالَمُ al-ʕālamu	عَالَمُ ʕālamu
Accusative	عَالَمًا ʕālaman	الْعَالَمَ al-ʕālama	عَالَمَ ʕālama
Genitive	عَالَمٍ ʕālamin	الْعَالَمِ al-ʕālami	عَالَمِ ʕālami
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	عَالَمَيْن ʕālamayn	الْعَالَمَيْن al-ʕālamayn	عَالَمَيْ ʕālamay
Nominative	عَالَمَانِ ʕālamāni	الْعَالَمَانِ al-ʕālamāni	عَالَمَا ʕālamā
Accusative	عَالَمَيْنِ ʕālamayni	الْعَالَمَيْنِ al-ʕālamayni	عَالَمَيْ ʕālamay
Genitive	عَالَمَيْنِ ʕālamayni	الْعَالَمَيْنِ al-ʕālamayni	عَالَمَيْ ʕālamay
Plural	sound masculine plural‎; basic broken plural diptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	عَالَمِين‎; عَوَالِم ʕālamīn‎; ʕawālim	الْعَالَمِين‎; الْعَوَالِم al-ʕālamīn‎; al-ʕawālim	عَالَمِي‎; عَوَالِم ʕālamī‎; ʕawālim
Nominative	عَالَمُونَ‎; عَوَالِمُ ʕālamūna‎; ʕawālimu	الْعَالَمُونَ‎; الْعَوَالِمُ al-ʕālamūna‎; al-ʕawālimu	عَالَمُو‎; عَوَالِمُ ʕālamū‎; ʕawālimu
Accusative	عَالَمِينَ‎; عَوَالِمَ ʕālamīna‎; ʕawālima	الْعَالَمِينَ‎; الْعَوَالِمَ al-ʕālamīna‎; al-ʕawālima	عَالَمِي‎; عَوَالِمَ ʕālamī‎; ʕawālima
Genitive	عَالَمِينَ‎; عَوَالِمَ ʕālamīna‎; ʕawālima	الْعَالَمِينَ‎; الْعَوَالِمِ al-ʕālamīna‎; al-ʕawālimi	عَالَمِي‎; عَوَالِمِ ʕālamī‎; ʕawālimi

Descendants

• → Azerbaijani: aləm
• → Bashkir: ғәләм (ğələm)
• → Indonesian: alam
• → Kyrgyz: аалам (aalam)
• → Malay: alam
• → Middle Armenian: ալամ (alam)
  • Armenian: ալամ (alam)
• → Ottoman Turkish: عالم (alem)
  • Turkish: alem
• → Persian: عالم ('âlam)
• → Urdu: عالم (ālam)

Etymology 2

Derived from the active participle of the verb عَلِمَ (ʕalima, “to know”), from the root ع ل م (ʕ-l-m).

Noun

عَالِم • (ʕālim) m (plural عَالِمُون (ʕālimūn) or عُلَمَاء (ʕulamāʔ), feminine عَالِمَة (ʕālima))

1. scholar, man of letters
2. knowledgeable person, savant

Declension

Declension of noun عَالِم (ʕālim)

Singular	Masculine			Feminine
	basic singular triptote			singular triptote in ـَة (-a)
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	عَالِم ʕālim	الْعَالِم al-ʕālim	عَالِم ʕālim	عَالِمَة ʕālima	الْعَالِمَة al-ʕālima	عَالِمَة ʕālimat
Nominative	عَالِمٌ ʕālimun	الْعَالِمُ al-ʕālimu	عَالِمُ ʕālimu	عَالِمَةٌ ʕālimatun	الْعَالِمَةُ al-ʕālimatu	عَالِمَةُ ʕālimatu
Accusative	عَالِمًا ʕāliman	الْعَالِمَ al-ʕālima	عَالِمَ ʕālima	عَالِمَةً ʕālimatan	الْعَالِمَةَ al-ʕālimata	عَالِمَةَ ʕālimata
Genitive	عَالِمٍ ʕālimin	الْعَالِمِ al-ʕālimi	عَالِمِ ʕālimi	عَالِمَةٍ ʕālimatin	الْعَالِمَةِ al-ʕālimati	عَالِمَةِ ʕālimati
Dual	Masculine			Feminine
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	عَالِمَيْن ʕālimayn	الْعَالِمَيْن al-ʕālimayn	عَالِمَيْ ʕālimay	عَالِمَتَيْن ʕālimatayn	الْعَالِمَتَيْن al-ʕālimatayn	عَالِمَتَيْ ʕālimatay
Nominative	عَالِمَانِ ʕālimāni	الْعَالِمَانِ al-ʕālimāni	عَالِمَا ʕālimā	عَالِمَتَانِ ʕālimatāni	الْعَالِمَتَانِ al-ʕālimatāni	عَالِمَتَا ʕālimatā
Accusative	عَالِمَيْنِ ʕālimayni	الْعَالِمَيْنِ al-ʕālimayni	عَالِمَيْ ʕālimay	عَالِمَتَيْنِ ʕālimatayni	الْعَالِمَتَيْنِ al-ʕālimatayni	عَالِمَتَيْ ʕālimatay
Genitive	عَالِمَيْنِ ʕālimayni	الْعَالِمَيْنِ al-ʕālimayni	عَالِمَيْ ʕālimay	عَالِمَتَيْنِ ʕālimatayni	الْعَالِمَتَيْنِ al-ʕālimatayni	عَالِمَتَيْ ʕālimatay
Plural	Masculine			Feminine
	sound masculine plural‎; basic broken plural diptote			sound feminine plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	عَالِمِين‎; عُلَمَاء ʕālimīn‎; ʕulamāʔ	الْعَالِمِين‎; الْعُلَمَاء al-ʕālimīn‎; al-ʕulamāʔ	عَالِمِي‎; عُلَمَاء ʕālimī‎; ʕulamāʔ	عَالِمَات ʕālimāt	الْعَالِمَات al-ʕālimāt	عَالِمَات ʕālimāt
Nominative	عَالِمُونَ‎; عُلَمَاءُ ʕālimūna‎; ʕulamāʔu	الْعَالِمُونَ‎; الْعُلَمَاءُ al-ʕālimūna‎; al-ʕulamāʔu	عَالِمُو‎; عُلَمَاءُ ʕālimū‎; ʕulamāʔu	عَالِمَاتٌ ʕālimātun	الْعَالِمَاتُ al-ʕālimātu	عَالِمَاتُ ʕālimātu
Accusative	عَالِمِينَ‎; عُلَمَاءَ ʕālimīna‎; ʕulamāʔa	الْعَالِمِينَ‎; الْعُلَمَاءَ al-ʕālimīna‎; al-ʕulamāʔa	عَالِمِي‎; عُلَمَاءَ ʕālimī‎; ʕulamāʔa	عَالِمَاتٍ ʕālimātin	الْعَالِمَاتِ al-ʕālimāti	عَالِمَاتِ ʕālimāti
Genitive	عَالِمِينَ‎; عُلَمَاءَ ʕālimīna‎; ʕulamāʔa	الْعَالِمِينَ‎; الْعُلَمَاءِ al-ʕālimīna‎; al-ʕulamāʔi	عَالِمِي‎; عُلَمَاءِ ʕālimī‎; ʕulamāʔi	عَالِمَاتٍ ʕālimātin	الْعَالِمَاتِ al-ʕālimāti	عَالِمَاتِ ʕālimāti

Descendants

• → Azerbaijani: alim
• → Persian: عالم ('âlem)
• → Ottoman Turkish: عالم (alim)
  • Turkish: alem
• → Urdu: عالم (ālim)

References

• “ˁlm”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
• Fischer, Wolfdietrich (2006) Grammatik des Klassischen Arabisch (in German), 4^th edition, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, →ISBN, § 62 Anm. 5, page 36
• Fraenkel, Siegmund (1880) De vocabulis in antiquis Arabum carminibus et in Corano peregrinis‎^[1] (in Latin), Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 17
• Fraenkel, Siegmund (1880) De vocabulis in antiquis Arabum carminibus et in Corano peregrinis‎^[2] (in Latin), Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 21
• Jeffery, Arthur (1938) The Foreign Vocabulary of the Qurʾān (Gaekwad’s Oriental Series; 79), Baroda: Oriental Institute, pages 208–209
• Nöldeke, Theodor (1875) Mandäische Grammatik‎^[3] (in German), Halle: Verlag der Buchhandlung des Waisenhauses, page 112

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Ottoman Turkish

عَالِم

Etymology 1

From Arabic عَالَم (ʕālam).

Noun

عالم • (alem) (plural عالمون (alemun), and عوالم (ewalim))

1. world, universe, everything except God
2. age, time, period

Descendants

• Turkish: alem

Etymology 2

From Arabic عَالِم (ʕālim).

Noun

عالم • (alim) (plural علما (ulema), and علام (ullam))

1. learned man, scholar, man of letters
2. particularly, a member of a certain class of men with a state-sponsored tenure, as distinguished from a mufti, being part of the askeri class, alim [since Mehmed II]

Descendants

• Turkish: alim

Further reading

• Meninski, Franciszek à Mesgnien (1680) “عالم”, in Thesaurus linguarum orientalium, Turcicae, Arabicae, Persicae, praecipuas earum opes à Turcis peculiariter usurpatas continens, nimirum Lexicon Turkico-Arabico-Persicum‎^[4], Vienna, columns 3196–3197
• Ottoman imperial Sunni ulama on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Die Ulamā im Osmanischen Reich on the German Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^de

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Persian

Etymology 1

From Arabic عَالَم (ʕālam).

Noun

Dari	عالم
Iranian Persian
Tajik	олам

عالم • ('âlam)

1. world
2. universe

Etymology 2

From Arabic عَالِم (ʕālim).

Adjective

Dari	عالم
Iranian Persian
Tajik	олим

عالم • ('âlem)

1. learned
2. knowledgeable

Related terms

• علم ('elm)

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Urdu

Etymology 1

From Arabic عَالَم (ʕālam).

Noun

عالم • ('ālam) m (Hindi spelling आलम)

1. world
2. universe
3. mankind
4. kingdom
5. season
6. state, condition
7. age, period

Etymology 2

From Arabic عَالِم (ʕālim).

Adjective

عالم • ('ālim) (Hindi spelling आलिम)

1. learned
2. knowledgeable
3. intelligent
4. wise

Noun

عالم • ('ālim) m (Hindi spelling आलिम)

1. doctor
2. scientist

Related terms

• علم ('ilm)