Khalifah
/kʰaˈliː.fa/noun
A successor or deputy, especially the title used for the leader of the early Muslim community.
Did you know?Khalifah comes from the Arabic root meaning “to come after” or “succeed,” and its political-religious weight made it a title of authority rather than a mystical term itself.
Etymological Timeline
Arabic root
Arabic
خ ل ف
“to come after, be behind, succeed”
Early Arabic
Arabic
خليفة (khalīfa)
“successor, deputy, one who comes after another”
7th Century
Arabic
الخليفة (al-khalīfa)
“the successor; title of the leader following Muhammad”
Medieval Latin
Latin
califa
“transliteration of the Arabic title”
Middle English
English
caliphe / calife
“the Muslim ruler or successor”
Modern English
English
caliph
“the title for the chief Muslim ruler in certain historical periods”
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