Mu'allim
/muˈʕal.lim/noun
An Arabic term for a teacher, instructor, or learned person.
Did you know?Muʿallim comes from the Arabic root ʿ-L-M, the same root behind ʿilm, “knowledge,” and ʿālim, “scholar.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
ʿ-L-M
“A root associated with knowing, knowledge, and making something known”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
ʿalima
“He knew”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
ʿallama
“He taught; he caused someone to know”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
muʿallim
“Teacher or instructor; literally, one who teaches”
19th–20th Century
English
mu'allim
“A title or term for a teacher, especially in Arabic-speaking contexts”
Modern English
English
mu'allim
“An Arabic loanword meaning teacher, instructor, or learned person”