علي

See also: على, علی, غلى, and غلي

Arabic

Etymology 1

From the root ع ل ي (ʕ-l-y).

Ultimately from Proto-Semitic *ʿall-, *ʿaly- (“to be high; exalted”), from Proto-Afroasiatic *ʿal-, *ʿVl(ay)- (“to be high, tall; to rise, ascend”).

Cognate with Hebrew עָלָה (ʿalá, “to ascend, rise, grow, develop”), Hebrew עלי (ʿeli, “ascent”) and thereby Eli.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʕa.li.ja/

Verb

عَلِيَ • (ʕaliya) I, non-past يَعْلَى‎ (yaʕlā)

1. (intransitive) to be exalted, high
2. (intransitive) to excel, to stand out

Conjugation

Conjugation of

عَلِيَ

(form-I final-weak, verbal noun عَلَاء)

verbal noun الْمَصْدَر						عَلَاء ʕalāʔ
active participle اِسْم الْفَاعِل						عَالٍ ʕālin
active voice الْفِعْل الْمَعْلُوم
		singular الْمُفْرَد				dual الْمُثَنَّى			plural الْجَمْع
		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	m	عَلِيتُ ʕalītu	عَلِيتَ ʕalīta	عَلِيَ ʕaliya		عَلِيتُمَا ʕalītumā	عَلِيَا ʕaliyā		عَلِينَا ʕalīnā	عَلِيتُمْ ʕalītum	عَلُوا ʕalū
	f		عَلِيتِ ʕalīti	عَلِيَتْ ʕaliyat			عَلِيَتَا ʕaliyatā			عَلِيتُنَّ ʕalītunna	عَلِينَ ʕalīna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أَعْلَى ʔaʕlā	تَعْلَى taʕlā	يَعْلَى yaʕlā		تَعْلَيَانِ taʕlayāni	يَعْلَيَانِ yaʕlayāni		نَعْلَى naʕlā	تَعْلَوْنَ taʕlawna	يَعْلَوْنَ yaʕlawna
	f		تَعْلَيْنَ taʕlayna	تَعْلَى taʕlā			تَعْلَيَانِ taʕlayāni			تَعْلَيْنَ taʕlayna	يَعْلَيْنَ yaʕlayna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أَعْلَى ʔaʕlā	تَعْلَى taʕlā	يَعْلَى yaʕlā		تَعْلَيَا taʕlayā	يَعْلَيَا yaʕlayā		نَعْلَى naʕlā	تَعْلَوْا taʕlaw	يَعْلَوْا yaʕlaw
	f		تَعْلَيْ taʕlay	تَعْلَى taʕlā			تَعْلَيَا taʕlayā			تَعْلَيْنَ taʕlayna	يَعْلَيْنَ yaʕlayna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أَعْلَ ʔaʕla	تَعْلَ taʕla	يَعْلَ yaʕla		تَعْلَيَا taʕlayā	يَعْلَيَا yaʕlayā		نَعْلَ naʕla	تَعْلَوْا taʕlaw	يَعْلَوْا yaʕlaw
	f		تَعْلَيْ taʕlay	تَعْلَ taʕla			تَعْلَيَا taʕlayā			تَعْلَيْنَ taʕlayna	يَعْلَيْنَ yaʕlayna
imperative الْأَمْر	m		اِعْلَ iʕla			اِعْلَيَا iʕlayā				اِعْلَوْا iʕlaw
	f		اِعْلَيْ iʕlay							اِعْلَيْنَ iʕlayna

Etymology 2

From the root ع ل و (ʕ-l-w) or ع ل ي (ʕ-l-y).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʕa.liː/

Adjective

عَلِيّ • (ʕaliyy) (feminine عَلِيَّة (ʕaliyya), masculine plural عَلِيُّونَ (ʕaliyyūna) or عِلْيَة (ʕilya), feminine plural عَلِيَّات (ʕaliyyāt), elative أَعْلَىٰ (ʔaʕlā))

1. high, tall
2. exalted, lofty, excellent

Declension

Declension of adjective عَلِيّ (ʕaliyy)

Singular	Masculine		Feminine
	basic singular triptote		singular triptote in ـَة (-a)
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Informal	عَلِي ʕalī	الْعَلِي al-ʕalī	عَلِيَّة ʕaliyya	الْعَلِيَّة al-ʕaliyya
Nominative	عَلِيٌّ ʕaliyyun	الْعَلِيُّ al-ʕaliyyu	عَلِيَّةٌ ʕaliyyatun	الْعَلِيَّةُ al-ʕaliyyatu
Accusative	عَلِيًّا ʕaliyyan	الْعَلِيَّ al-ʕaliyya	عَلِيَّةً ʕaliyyatan	الْعَلِيَّةَ al-ʕaliyyata
Genitive	عَلِيٍّ ʕaliyyin	الْعَلِيِّ al-ʕaliyyi	عَلِيَّةٍ ʕaliyyatin	الْعَلِيَّةِ al-ʕaliyyati
Dual	Masculine		Feminine
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Informal	عَلِيَّيْن ʕaliyyayn	الْعَلِيَّيْن al-ʕaliyyayn	عَلِيَّتَيْن ʕaliyyatayn	الْعَلِيَّتَيْن al-ʕaliyyatayn
Nominative	عَلِيَّانِ ʕaliyyāni	الْعَلِيَّانِ al-ʕaliyyāni	عَلِيَّتَانِ ʕaliyyatāni	الْعَلِيَّتَانِ al-ʕaliyyatāni
Accusative	عَلِيَّيْنِ ʕaliyyayni	الْعَلِيَّيْنِ al-ʕaliyyayni	عَلِيَّتَيْنِ ʕaliyyatayni	الْعَلِيَّتَيْنِ al-ʕaliyyatayni
Genitive	عَلِيَّيْنِ ʕaliyyayni	الْعَلِيَّيْنِ al-ʕaliyyayni	عَلِيَّتَيْنِ ʕaliyyatayni	الْعَلِيَّتَيْنِ al-ʕaliyyatayni
Plural	Masculine		Feminine
	sound masculine plural‎; broken plural triptote in ـَة (-a)		sound feminine plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Informal	عَلِيِّين‎; عِلْيَة ʕaliyyīn‎; ʕilya	الْعَلِيِّين‎; الْعِلْيَة al-ʕaliyyīn‎; al-ʕilya	عَلِيَّات ʕaliyyāt	الْعَلِيَّات al-ʕaliyyāt
Nominative	عَلِيُّونَ‎; عِلْيَةٌ ʕaliyyūna‎; ʕilyatun	الْعَلِيُّونَ‎; الْعِلْيَةُ al-ʕaliyyūna‎; al-ʕilyatu	عَلِيَّاتٌ ʕaliyyātun	الْعَلِيَّاتُ al-ʕaliyyātu
Accusative	عَلِيِّينَ‎; عِلْيَةً ʕaliyyīna‎; ʕilyatan	الْعَلِيِّينَ‎; الْعِلْيَةَ al-ʕaliyyīna‎; al-ʕilyata	عَلِيَّاتٍ ʕaliyyātin	الْعَلِيَّاتِ al-ʕaliyyāti
Genitive	عَلِيِّينَ‎; عِلْيَةٍ ʕaliyyīna‎; ʕilyatin	الْعَلِيِّينَ‎; الْعِلْيَةِ al-ʕaliyyīna‎; al-ʕilyati	عَلِيَّاتٍ ʕaliyyātin	الْعَلِيَّاتِ al-ʕaliyyāti

Synonyms

• عَالٍ (ʕālin)

Proper noun

عَلِيّ • (ʕaliyy) m

1. The Muslim caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib, considered by Shias to be Muhammad's successor.
2. a male given name, Ali
3. a surname

Declension

Declension of noun عَلِيّ (ʕaliyy)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	—	عَلِي ʕalī	—
Nominative	—	عَلِيٌّ ʕaliyyun	—
Accusative	—	عَلِيًّا ʕaliyyan	—
Genitive	—	عَلِيٍّ ʕaliyyin	—

Derived terms

• عَلَوِيّ (ʕalawiyy)

See also

• يَا عَلِي (yā ʕalī)

Descendants

• Azerbaijani: Əli
• English: Ali
• Bashkir: Ғәли (Ğəli)

• Persian: علی ('Ali)
• Somali: Cali

• Swahili: Ali
• Turkish: Ali

Etymology 3

From the root ع ل ي (ʕ-l-y).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʕalj/

Noun

عَلْي • (ʕaly) m

1. verbal noun of عَلَى (ʕalā).

Declension

Declension of noun عَلْي (ʕaly)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	عَلْي ʕaly	الْعَلْي al-ʕaly	عَلْي ʕaly
Nominative	عَلْيٌ ʕalyun	الْعَلْيُ al-ʕalyu	عَلْيُ ʕalyu
Accusative	عَلْيًا ʕalyan	الْعَلْيَ al-ʕalya	عَلْيَ ʕalya
Genitive	عَلْيٍ ʕalyin	الْعَلْيِ al-ʕalyi	عَلْيِ ʕalyi

Etymology 4

From the root ع ل ي (ʕ-l-y).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʕu.li.ja/

Verb

عُلِيَ • (ʕuliya) (form I)

1. third-person masculine singular past passive of عَلَا (ʕalā)

Etymology 5

From the root ع ل ي (ʕ-l-y).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʕu.li.ja/

Verb

عُلِيَ • (ʕuliya) (form I)

1. third-person masculine singular past passive of عَلَى (ʕalā)

Etymology 6

From عَلَى (ʕalā, “on”) +‎ ـيَ (-ya, “me”).

Adverb

عَلَيَّ • (ʕalayya)

1. on me