Ilah
/ʔiˈlaːh/noun
An Arabic word meaning a god or deity, often contrasted with Allah, meaning “the God.”
Did you know?In Islamic theology, the phrase lā ilāha illā Allāh literally means “there is no deity except God,” distinguishing the generic ilah from Allah.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ʔil- / *ʔilāh-
“God or deity; an ancient Semitic designation for a divine being”
Ancient Northwest Semitic
Ugaritic
il
“A god, especially the high god El in Ugaritic religion”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
ʾēl / ʾĕlōah
“God or deity; related forms also appear in divine names and titles”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
ʾilāh (إِلٰه)
“A god or deity; the generic Arabic term for a divine being”
Early Islamic Arabic
Arabic
al-ʾilāh → Allāh
““The god,” a contraction traditionally analyzed as the source of the proper name Allah”
Modern English
English
ilah
“A scholarly or transliterated borrowing meaning an Arabic god or deity”