Where does “ayatollah” come from?
ayatollah (Malay) comes from Iranian Persian آیَتُاللّٰه, from Classical Persian آیَةُاللّٰه, from Arabic آيَةُ ٱللَّٰهِ, from Arabic اللّٰه, from Proto-Semitic ʾil- — deity; god.
Ancestry of “ayatollah”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iranian Persian | آیَتُاللّٰه | — |
| 2 | Classical Persian | آیَةُاللّٰه | — |
| 3 | Arabic | آيَةُ ٱللَّٰهِ | — |
| 4 | Arabic | اللّٰه | God, Allah; the All-highest”, “God; the... |
| 5 | Proto-Semitic | ʾil- | deity; god |