Ulama
/uːˈlɑːmə/noun
Muslim religious scholars, especially those trained in Islamic law, theology, and sacred texts.
Did you know?Ulama is already a plural in Arabic; its singular is ʿālim, meaning “a learned person” or “scholar.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ʿ-l-m
“Reconstructed root associated with knowing or knowledge”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
ʿilm
“Knowledge, especially religious or intellectual knowledge”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
ʿālim
“A learned person or scholar”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
ʿulamāʾ
“Scholars; the broken plural of ʿālim”
Medieval Period
Persian/Urdu
ʿulamā / ulama
“Muslim religious scholars, particularly jurists and theologians”
19th Century–Modern English
English
ulama
“A collective term for Muslim religious scholars”