Allah
/ˈæl.ə/noun
The Arabic name for God, used especially in Islam and by Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews.
Did you know?Allah is not exclusively an Islamic word: Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews also use Allah for God, while the related Hebrew Eloah appears in the Hebrew Bible.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ʔilāh-
“Deity or god; a reconstructed ancient Semitic term”
Ancient Northwest Semitic
Northwest Semitic
ʾil / ʾilāh
“God or deity; the root behind terms such as Hebrew El and Eloah”
Pre-Islamic Arabic
Arabic
ilāh
“A god or deity”
Pre-Islamic Arabic
Arabic
al-ilāh
“The god; the definite article al- joined to ilāh”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
Allāh
“The established contracted form of al-ilāh, meaning God”
Modern English
English
Allah
“The Arabic name for God, adopted as an English religious and cultural term”