ayatollah

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English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Iranian Persian آیت‌الله(âyatollâh), from Classical Persian آیَت‌اُلله(āyat-ullāh), from Arabic آيَةُ ٱللَّٰهِ(ʔāyatu llāhi, sign of God), from آيَة(ʔāya, sign) + اللّٰه(allāh, God).

Noun[edit]

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ayatollah (plural ayatollahs)

  1. A religious leader in Twelver Shi'ism.
  2. (colloquial) An authority on any subject.

Translations[edit]

Dutch[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Iranian Persian آیت‌الله(âyatollâh), from Arabic آيَةُ اللّٰه(ʔāyatu llāh, sign of God).

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ˌaː.jaːˈtɔ.laː/
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: aya‧tol‧lah

Noun[edit]

ayatollah m (plural ayatollahs, diminutive ayatollaatje n)

  1. A religious leader in Twelver Shi'ism.
  2. Highest grade of theological scholarship in Shi'ism.
  3. (by extension) A (thought) leader or key figure in general.
    • 2017, Alain Mouton, Het geld is op! De financiële putten van België:
      Van de ayatollah van de begrotingssanering die de Gentenaar in de jaren tachtig was, bleef er niet veel over.
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)

French[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Iranian Persian آیت‌الله(âyatollâh), from Arabic آيَةُ اللّٰه(ʔāyatu llāh, sign of God), from آيَة(ʔāya, sign) + اللّٰه(allāh, God).

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

ayatollah m (plural ayatollahs)

  1. ayatollah
  2. (figurative, derogatory) strong proponent of something; person behaving tyrannically and despotically in a particular matter

Italian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Iranian Persian آیت‌الله(âyatollâh), from Arabic آيَةُ اللّٰه(ʔāyatu llāh, sign of God), from آيَة(ʔāya, sign) + اللّٰه(allāh, God).

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

ayatollah m (invariable)

  1. ayatollah

Norwegian Bokmål[edit]

Noun[edit]

ayatollah m

  1. form removed by a 1984 spelling decision; superseded by ayatolla

Norwegian Nynorsk[edit]

Noun[edit]

ayatollah m

  1. (pre-1984) alternative form of ayatolla

Romanian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from French ayatollah, from Iranian Persian آیت‌الله(âyatollâh), from Arabic آيَةُ اللّٰه(ʔāyatu llāh, sign of God), from آيَة(ʔāya, sign) + اللّٰه(allāh, God).

Noun[edit]

ayatollah m (plural ayatollahi)

  1. ayatollah

Declension[edit]