عالم

Arabic

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Aramaic עָלְמָא / ܥܳܠܡܳܐ (ʿāləmā) or Hebrew עוֹלָם (ʿōlām), possibly from Akkadian 𒂖𒆷𒈬𒌋𒀀 (/⁠ellamu, illamu⁠/, “front, before; both temporally and in location; coming before your time or being currently physically before you now”).

The pattern فَاعَل (fāʕal)

The pattern فَاعَل (fāʕal) is considered originally foreign to Arabic and Ethiopic, occurring only in likely loanwords such as طَابَع (ṭābaʕ), خَاتَم (ḵātam), فَالَج (fālaj). It should be noted some of these loans are suspected to be early, such as خَاتَم (ḵātam) being present in Old Arabian Inscriptions and عَالَم (ʕālam) retaining the sound masculine plural ending in spite of being treated as a non-human plural; a feature that suggests it existed prior to the restriction of such a use exclusively for male humans; whereas one group renders known Middle Iranian suffixes, as in طَابَق (ṭābaq) and سَاذَج (sāḏaj) and رَامَك (rāmak) and via Aramaic fricativized as in كَامَخ (kāmaḵ) the ending of which became Classical Persian (-a) and (-ak). Nautically, even Dravidian borrowings with this measure like طَالَم (ṭālam) are possible early. Consequently due to its early appearance, the فَاعَل (fāʕal) pattern has since become a sparsely used coined pattern in its own right, typically however still being reserved for loanwords using the structure of these earlier loans as their basis; for example the later loan طَاقَم (ṭāqam).

Alternative forms

عٰلَم (ʕālam)

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ʕaː.lam/

Noun

عَالَم • (ʕālam) m (plural عَالَمُون (ʕālamūn) or عَوَالِم (ʕawālim))

world
universe, cosmos, existence
(chiefly Christianity) world, hereunder, worldly life
Synonym: دُنْيَا (dunyā)

فِي العالَمِ يَكُونُ لَكُم ضِيقٌ، وَلٰكِن ثِقُوا: أَنَا قَد غَلَبْتُ العالَم.
fī l-ʕālami yakūnu lakum ḍīqun, walākin ṯiqū: ʔanā qad ḡalabtu l-ʕālam.
In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)
things, creation, that which exists before you
nation, people, group, type, or kind

Declension

Declension of noun عَالَم (ʕālam)

Singular	basic singular triptote
Singular	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	عَالَم ʕālam	الْعَالَم al-ʕālam	عَالَم ʕālam
Nominative	عَالَمٌ ʕālamun	الْعَالَمُ al-ʕālamu	عَالَمُ ʕālamu
Accusative	عَالَمًا ʕālaman	الْعَالَمَ al-ʕālama	عَالَمَ ʕālama
Genitive	عَالَمٍ ʕālamin	الْعَالَمِ al-ʕālami	عَالَمِ ʕālami
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	عَالَمَيْن ʕālamayn	الْعَالَمَيْن al-ʕālamayn	عَالَمَيْ ʕālamay
Nominative	عَالَمَانِ ʕālamāni	الْعَالَمَانِ al-ʕālamāni	عَالَمَا ʕālamā
Accusative	عَالَمَيْنِ ʕālamayni	الْعَالَمَيْنِ al-ʕālamayni	عَالَمَيْ ʕālamay
Genitive	عَالَمَيْنِ ʕālamayni	الْعَالَمَيْنِ al-ʕālamayni	عَالَمَيْ ʕālamay
Plural	sound masculine plural‎; basic broken plural diptote
Plural	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	عَالَمِين‎; عَوَالِم ʕālamīn‎; ʕawālim	الْعَالَمِين‎; الْعَوَالِم al-ʕālamīn‎; al-ʕawālim	عَالَمِي‎; عَوَالِم ʕālamī‎; ʕawālim
Nominative	عَالَمُونَ‎; عَوَالِمُ ʕālamūna‎; ʕawālimu	الْعَالَمُونَ‎; الْعَوَالِمُ al-ʕālamūna‎; al-ʕawālimu	عَالَمُو‎; عَوَالِمُ ʕālamū‎; ʕawālimu
Accusative	عَالَمِينَ‎; عَوَالِمَ ʕālamīna‎; ʕawālima	الْعَالَمِينَ‎; الْعَوَالِمَ al-ʕālamīna‎; al-ʕawālima	عَالَمِي‎; عَوَالِمَ ʕālamī‎; ʕawālima
Genitive	عَالَمِينَ‎; عَوَالِمَ ʕālamīna‎; ʕawālima	الْعَالَمِينَ‎; الْعَوَالِمِ al-ʕālamīna‎; al-ʕawālimi	عَالَمِي‎; عَوَالِمِ ʕālamī‎; ʕawālimi

Descendants

→ Azerbaijani: aləm
→ Bashkir: ғәләм (ğələm)
→ Bengali: আলম (alom)
→ Indonesian: alam
→ Kazakh: ғалам (ğalam), әлем (älem)
→ Kyrgyz: аалам (aalam)
→ Malay: alam
- Indonesian: alam
→ Middle Armenian: ալամ (alam)
- Armenian: ալամ (alam)
→ Ottoman Turkish: عالم (ʿālem)
> Turkish: âlem (inherited)
→ Persian: عالم ('âlam)
- → Urdu: عالم (ālam)
→ Tabasaran: аьлам (a̱lam)
→ Uzbek: olam

Etymology 2

Derived from the active participle of the verb عَلِمَ (ʕalima, “to know”), from the root ع ل م (ʕ-l-m).

Noun

عَالِم • (ʕālim) m (plural عَالِمُون (ʕālimūn) or عُلَمَاء (ʕulamāʔ), feminine عَالِمَة (ʕālima))

Declension

Declension of noun عَالِم (ʕālim)

Singular	Masculine			Feminine
	basic singular triptote			singular triptote in ـَة (-a)
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	عَالِم ʕālim	الْعَالِم al-ʕālim	عَالِم ʕālim	عَالِمَة ʕālima	الْعَالِمَة al-ʕālima	عَالِمَة ʕālimat
Nominative	عَالِمٌ ʕālimun	الْعَالِمُ al-ʕālimu	عَالِمُ ʕālimu	عَالِمَةٌ ʕālimatun	الْعَالِمَةُ al-ʕālimatu	عَالِمَةُ ʕālimatu
Accusative	عَالِمًا ʕāliman	الْعَالِمَ al-ʕālima	عَالِمَ ʕālima	عَالِمَةً ʕālimatan	الْعَالِمَةَ al-ʕālimata	عَالِمَةَ ʕālimata
Genitive	عَالِمٍ ʕālimin	الْعَالِمِ al-ʕālimi	عَالِمِ ʕālimi	عَالِمَةٍ ʕālimatin	الْعَالِمَةِ al-ʕālimati	عَالِمَةِ ʕālimati
Dual	Masculine			Feminine
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	عَالِمَيْن ʕālimayn	الْعَالِمَيْن al-ʕālimayn	عَالِمَيْ ʕālimay	عَالِمَتَيْن ʕālimatayn	الْعَالِمَتَيْن al-ʕālimatayn	عَالِمَتَيْ ʕālimatay
Nominative	عَالِمَانِ ʕālimāni	الْعَالِمَانِ al-ʕālimāni	عَالِمَا ʕālimā	عَالِمَتَانِ ʕālimatāni	الْعَالِمَتَانِ al-ʕālimatāni	عَالِمَتَا ʕālimatā
Accusative	عَالِمَيْنِ ʕālimayni	الْعَالِمَيْنِ al-ʕālimayni	عَالِمَيْ ʕālimay	عَالِمَتَيْنِ ʕālimatayni	الْعَالِمَتَيْنِ al-ʕālimatayni	عَالِمَتَيْ ʕālimatay
Genitive	عَالِمَيْنِ ʕālimayni	الْعَالِمَيْنِ al-ʕālimayni	عَالِمَيْ ʕālimay	عَالِمَتَيْنِ ʕālimatayni	الْعَالِمَتَيْنِ al-ʕālimatayni	عَالِمَتَيْ ʕālimatay
Plural	Masculine			Feminine
	sound masculine plural‎; basic broken plural diptote			sound feminine plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	عَالِمِين‎; عُلَمَاء ʕālimīn‎; ʕulamāʔ	الْعَالِمِين‎; الْعُلَمَاء al-ʕālimīn‎; al-ʕulamāʔ	عَالِمِي‎; عُلَمَاء ʕālimī‎; ʕulamāʔ	عَالِمَات ʕālimāt	الْعَالِمَات al-ʕālimāt	عَالِمَات ʕālimāt
Nominative	عَالِمُونَ‎; عُلَمَاءُ ʕālimūna‎; ʕulamāʔu	الْعَالِمُونَ‎; الْعُلَمَاءُ al-ʕālimūna‎; al-ʕulamāʔu	عَالِمُو‎; عُلَمَاءُ ʕālimū‎; ʕulamāʔu	عَالِمَاتٌ ʕālimātun	الْعَالِمَاتُ al-ʕālimātu	عَالِمَاتُ ʕālimātu
Accusative	عَالِمِينَ‎; عُلَمَاءَ ʕālimīna‎; ʕulamāʔa	الْعَالِمِينَ‎; الْعُلَمَاءَ al-ʕālimīna‎; al-ʕulamāʔa	عَالِمِي‎; عُلَمَاءَ ʕālimī‎; ʕulamāʔa	عَالِمَاتٍ ʕālimātin	الْعَالِمَاتِ al-ʕālimāti	عَالِمَاتِ ʕālimāti
Genitive	عَالِمِينَ‎; عُلَمَاءَ ʕālimīna‎; ʕulamāʔa	الْعَالِمِينَ‎; الْعُلَمَاءِ al-ʕālimīna‎; al-ʕulamāʔi	عَالِمِي‎; عُلَمَاءِ ʕālimī‎; ʕulamāʔi	عَالِمَاتٍ ʕālimātin	الْعَالِمَاتِ al-ʕālimāti	عَالِمَاتِ ʕālimāti

Descendants

→ Azerbaijani: alim
→ Bengali: আলেম (alem)
→ Fula: aalim
→ Persian: عالم ('âlem)
→ Ottoman Turkish: عالم (ʿālim)
> Turkish: âlim (inherited)
→ Kazakh: ғалым (ğalym)
→ Kyrgyz: аалым (aalım)
→ Urdu: عالم (ālim)

References

“ˁlm”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
Fischer, Wolfdietrich (2006) Grammatik des Klassischen Arabisch (in German), 4^th edition, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, →ISBN, § 62 Anm. 5, page 36
Fraenkel, Siegmund (1880) De vocabulis in antiquis Arabum carminibus et in Corano peregrinis‎ (in Latin), Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 17
Fraenkel, Siegmund (1880) De vocabulis in antiquis Arabum carminibus et in Corano peregrinis‎ (in Latin), Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 21
Jeffery, Arthur (1938) The Foreign Vocabulary of the Qurʾān (Gaekwad’s Oriental Series; 79), Baroda: Oriental Institute, pages 208–209
Nöldeke, Theodor (1875) Mandäische Grammatik‎ (in German), Halle: Verlag der Buchhandlung des Waisenhauses, page 112

Kohistani Shina

Noun

عالم ('alim)

teacher

North Levantine Arabic

Etymology

From Arabic عالَم (ʕālam).

Noun

عالم • (ʕālam) m (plural عوالم (ʕwālim))

world
Synonym: دني (dini)
people, folk
Synonym: ناس (nās)

كان في كتير عالم هنيك.
Kān fi ktīr ʕālam hunīk.
There were a lot of people there.

Usage notes

When meaning “people” it is often construed with a feminine or plural verb, like ناس.

Ottoman Turkish

Etymology 1

From Arabic عَالَم (ʕālam).

Noun

عالم • (alem) (plural عالمون (alemun), and عوالم (ewalim))

world, universe, everything except God
age, time, period

Descendants

Turkish: âlem

Etymology 2

From Arabic عَالِم (ʕālim).

Noun

عالم • (alim) (plural علما (ulema), and علام (ullam))

learned man, scholar, man of letters
particularly, a member of a certain class of men with a state-sponsored tenure, as distinguished from a mufti, being part of the askeri class, alim

Adjective

عالم • (alim)

learned, educated
عالم بر خاتون ― alim bir hatun ― a learned lady

Descendants

Turkish: âlim

Persian

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Arabic عَالَم (ʕālam).

Pronunciation

(Classical Persian) IPA^(key):

(Dari, formal) IPA^(key):
- (Kabuli) IPA^(key):
- (Hazaragi) IPA^(key):

(Iran, formal) IPA^(key):

(Tajik, formal) IPA^(key):

Readings
Classical reading^?	ālam
Dari reading^?	ālam
Iranian reading^?	âlam
Tajik reading^?	olam

Noun


Iranian Persian	عالم
Dari	عالم
Tajik	олам

عالَم • ('âlam)

world; universe
Synonyms: جهان (jahân), دنیا (donyâ)
- c. 1260s, Jalāl ad-Dīn Mohammad Rūmī, translated by Reynold A. Nicholson, مثنوی معنوی [Masnavi-ye-Ma'navi], volume III, verse 64:
  کین جهان چاهیست بس تاریک و تنگ
  هست بیرون عالمی بی بو و رنگ
  k-in jahân čâhi-st bas târik o tang
  hast birun 'âlami bi bu vo rang
  "This world is an exceeding dark and narrow pit; outside is a world without scent or colour."
- late 1300s, Xāja Shams-ud-Dīn Moḥammad Ḥāfeẓ-e Shīrāzī, “Ghazal 470 (Sīne mālāmāl-e dard ast)”, in دیوان حافظ:
  زیرکی را گفتم این احوال بین خندید و گفت
  صعب روزی بوالعجب کاری پریشان عالمی
  ziraki râ goftam in ahvâl bin, xandid o goft
  sa'b ruzi, bol-'ajab kâri, parišân 'âlami
  I said to a wise one, "Look at these conditions!" He laughed and said,
  "A difficult day, a strange affair, a perplexing world!"

Descendants

→ Gujarati: આલમ (ālam)

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Arabic عَالِم (ʕālim).

Pronunciation

(Classical Persian) IPA^(key):

(Dari, formal) IPA^(key):
- (Kabuli) IPA^(key):
- (Hazaragi) IPA^(key):

(Iran, formal) IPA^(key):

(Tajik, formal) IPA^(key):

Readings
Classical reading^?	ālim
Dari reading^?	ālim
Iranian reading^?	âlem
Tajik reading^?	olim

Adjective


Iranian Persian	عالم
Dari	عالم
Tajik	олим

عالِم • ('âlem)

learned; knowledgeable

Related terms

علم ('elm, “knowledge”)

Descendants

→ Gujarati: આલિમ (ālim)

Punjabi

Etymology 1

From Arabic عَالَم (ʕālam).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɑː.lə.mᵊ/

Noun

عالَم • (ʻālam) m (Gurmukhi spelling ਆਲਮ)

Etymology 2

From Arabic عَالِم (ʕālim).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɑː.lə.mᵊ/

Adjective

عالَم • (ʻālam) (Gurmukhi spelling ਆਲਮ)

Usage notes

Many Arabic loanwords, such as عالَم (ʻālam), can have multiple meanings in Punjabi, where in this case, one is related to the noun, while the latter meaning is used to refer to the adjective. Both are borrowed from different Arabic words, yet have the same pronunciation in Punjabi, unlike in, the sister language, Urdu عالِم ('ālim), (and rarely in Hindi आलिम (ālim)), where there is a distinction in pronunciation between the adjective and the noun. This can cause ambiguity as generally Punjabi speakers, who tend to also speak Hindi and Urdu, might actually mix words from either languages and not emphasise on the difference in pronunciation.