Muslim
/ˈmʊzlɪm/noun
A follower of Islam.
Did you know?Muslim comes from the Arabic root s-l-m, the same root behind *Islam*, *salaam* (“peace”), and *Muslim* (“one who submits”), showing how one root can carry both surrender and peace in sacred language.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
PSem
*š-l-m
“Root conveying wholeness, peace, safety, and well-being”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
muslim
“one who submits to God”
Early Islamic period
Arabic
al-muslim
“the submitter, a follower of Islam”
17th-18th Century
English
Moslem
“historical English form for a Muslim”
Modern English
English
Muslim
“a follower of Islam”