Where does “ayatollah” come from?

ayatollah (Dutch) comes from Persian آیت‌الله, from Arabic آيَةُ اللّٰه — sign of God.

ayatollah (Dutch): a religious leader in Twelver Shi'ism

Definitions

  1. a religious leader in Twelver Shi'ism

Ancestry of “ayatollah”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Persianآیت‌اللهayatollah; Ayatollah
2Arabicآيَةُ اللّٰهsign of God
Every word from Arabic آيَةُ اللّٰه →Every word from Persian آیت‌الله →