Where does “ال” come from?

ال (North Levantine Arabic) comes from Arabic ال, from Proto-Semitic ʾil- — deity; god.

ال (North Levantine Arabic): the; contraction of اللي

Definitions

  1. the; contraction of اللي

Ancestry of “ال”, step by step

ال traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Arabic ال

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Arabicالthe
2Proto-Semiticʾil-deity; god

via North Levantine Arabic اللي

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1North Levantine Arabicالليwho; whom; which; that; what
2Arabicاَلَّذِي—
Every word from Proto-Semitic ʾil- →Every word from Arabic ال →