Caliph
/ˈkeɪlɪf/noun
A title used by the supreme political and religious leader of a Muslim community.
Did you know?Caliph comes through Arabic from a root tied to succession and replacement, and its deeper history helped shape words like “khalifa” in Islamic political theology.
Etymological Timeline
Arabic
Arabic
خَلِيفَة (khalīfa)
“successor, deputy, or representative”
Late Antiquity
Arabic
خَلَفَ (khalafa)
“to succeed, come after”
7th Century
Arabic
خَلِيفَة (khalīfa)
“the successor to the Prophet as leader of the Muslim community”
Medieval Latin
Latin
califa
“a Muslim ruler or successor”
16th Century
English
caliph
“the title of a Muslim spiritual and temporal ruler”