Etymology Explorer › Arabic

Where does “عُلَمَاء” come from?

عُلَمَاء (Arabic) comes from Arabic عَالِم, from Arabic عَلِمَ, from Arabic ل, from Proto-Semitic *lV-.

Ancestry of “عُلَمَاء”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Arabicعَالِمknowing, learned, also scholar; learned one;...
2Arabicعَلِمَto know, to perceive, to distinguish
3Arabicلto, for, belonging to; لَـ •; Used to express...
4Proto-Semitic*lV-—

Words derived from “عُلَمَاء”

  • ulema
  • olema
Every word from Proto-Semitic *lV- →