سلام

Arabic

Root
س ل م (s l m)
25 terms

Etymology 1

Semantic loan from Aramaic שְׁלָמָא / ܫܠܵܡܵܐ (šəlāmā, “wholeness, welfare; peace”, used as a greeting). Cognate with Hebrew שלום (shalóm).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sa.laːm/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

سَلَام • (salām) m

1. verbal noun of سَلِمَ (salima) (form I), well-being
2. peace
3. greeting

Declension

Declension of noun سَلَام (salām)

singular	basic singular triptote
	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	سَلَام salām	السَّلَام as-salām	سَلَام salām
nominative	سَلَامٌ salāmun	السَّلَامُ as-salāmu	سَلَامُ salāmu
accusative	سَلَامًا salāman	السَّلَامَ as-salāma	سَلَامَ salāma
genitive	سَلَامٍ salāmin	السَّلَامِ as-salāmi	سَلَامِ salāmi

Derived terms

• ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ (s-salāmu ʕalaykum)
• وَعَلَيْكُمُ ٱلسَّلَامُ (waʕalaykumu s-salāmu)
• عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ (ʕalayhi s-salāmu)
• سَلَامُ ٱللَّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ (salāmu llāhi ʕalayhi)
• عَلَيْهِ ٱلصَّلَاةُ وَٱلسَّلَامُ (ʕalayhi ṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu)

Interjection

سَلَام • (salām)

1. salutation; greeting

Descendants

• Maltese: sliem
• Avar: салам (salam)
• → Bashkir: сәләм (säläm)
• → Burmese: ဆလံ (hca.lam)
• → Central Kurdish: سڵاو (siḷaw)
• → Chechen: салам (salam)
• → Chinese:

  Dungan: сэляму (seliamu)

  Mandarin: 色蘭 / 色兰 (sèlán), 薩拉姆 / 萨拉姆 (sàlāmǔ)

• → Chuvash: салам (salam)
  • → Eastern Mari: салам (salam)
  • → Western Mari: шӓла (šäla)
• → Classical Persian: سلام (salām)
  • → Bengali: সেলাম (śelam), সালাম (salam)
  • → Gujarati: સલામ (salām)
  • → Hindustani:

    Hindi: सलाम (salām)

    Urdu: سلام (salām)

    • → Mauritian Creole: salam
  • → Kazakh: сәлем (sälem)
  • → Kyrgyz: салам (salam)
  • → Marathi: सलाम (salām)
  • → Mazanderani: سلام (selâm)
  • → Nepali: सलाम (salām)
  • →? Old Anatolian Turkish: سلام
    • > Ottoman Turkish: سلام (inherited)
      • > Turkish: selam (inherited)
      • > Gagauz: seläm (inherited)
    • > Azerbaijani: salam (inherited)
  • → Punjabi: ਸਲਾਮ (salām)
  • → Pashto: سلام (salām)
  • → Sindhi: (salāmu)

    Arabic script: سَلامُ (salāmu)

    Devanagari script: सलामु

  • → Telugu: సలాము (salāmu), సలాం (salāṁ)
  • → Turkmen: salam, selam
  • → Chagatai:
    • Uyghur: سالام (salam)
    • Uzbek: salom
• → English: salaam
• → Finnish: salaam
• → French: salam
• → Georgian: სალამი (salami)
• → German: Salam
• → Greek: σαλάμ (salám)
• → Hebrew: סלאם (salam)
• → Hungarian: szálem
• → Japanese: サラーム (sarāmu)
• → Korean: 살람 (sallam)
• → Lak: салам (salam)
• → Lezgi: салам (salam)
• → Malagasy: salama
• → Malay: salam
  • Indonesian: salam
• → Maranao: salam
• → Middle Armenian: սալամ (salam), սէլամ (sēlam)
• → Northern Kurdish: selam, silav
• → Ossetian: салам (salam)
• → Polish: salam
• → Portuguese: salama
• → Russian: саля́м (saljám), селя́м (seljám), сала́м (salám), сало́м (salóm)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic script: сѐла̄м

  Latin script: sèlām

• → Swahili: salamu, salaam
• → Tatar: сәлам (sälam)
• → Vietnamese: xa-lam

References

• Jeffery, Arthur (1938), The Foreign Vocabulary of the Qurʾān (Gaekwad’s Oriental Series; 79), Baroda: Oriental Institute, page 175

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /si.laːm/

Noun

سِلَام • (silām) m

1. verbal noun of سَالَمَ (sālama) (form III)

Declension

Declension of noun سِلَام (silām)

singular	basic singular triptote
	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	سِلَام silām	السِّلَام as-silām	سِلَام silām
nominative	سِلَامٌ silāmun	السِّلَامُ as-silāmu	سِلَامُ silāmu
accusative	سِلَامًا silāman	السِّلَامَ as-silāma	سِلَامَ silāma
genitive	سِلَامٍ silāmin	السِّلَامِ as-silāmi	سِلَامِ silāmi

Noun

سِلَام • (silām) m

1. plural of variety of سَلِم (salim, “stones”), or alternative collective
2. plural of variety of سَلَْم (salam, “Vachellia flava”)

Declension

Declension of noun سِلَام (silām)

singular	basic singular triptote
	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	سِلَام silām	السِّلَام as-silām	سِلَام silām
nominative	سِلَامٌ silāmun	السِّلَامُ as-silāmu	سِلَامُ silāmu
accusative	سِلَامًا silāman	السِّلَامَ as-silāma	سِلَامَ silāma
genitive	سِلَامٍ silāmin	السِّلَامِ as-silāmi	سِلَامِ silāmi

References

• Wehr, Hans (1979), “سلم”, in J. Milton Cowan, editor, A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 4th edition, Ithaca, NY: Spoken Language Services, →ISBN

Central Kurdish

Alternative forms

• سڵاو (səɫaːw)

Etymology

From Arabic سَلَام (salām, “peace”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sælaːm/

Noun

سلام (sælaːm)

1. greeting
2. hello
3. hi

Mazanderani

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Interjection

سلام (selâm)

1. hello

North Levantine Arabic

Root
س ل م
2 terms

Etymology

From Arabic سَلام (salām).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /saˈlæːm/
• (with imala) IPA^(key): /saleːm/

Noun

سلام • (salām) m (plural سلامات (salāmāt))

1. peace

Derived terms

• السلام عليكم (as-salāmu ʕalēkom, “peace be upon you”)

Ottoman Turkish

Alternative forms

• սէլամ (selam) — Armeno-Turkish

Etymology

Inherited from Old Anatolian Turkish سلام, from Arabic سَلَام (salām) (compare its Hebrew cognate שלום (shalóm, “hello”)), likely via Classical Persian سلام (salām).

Noun

سلام • (selâm)

1. greetings

Derived terms

• سلاملامق (selâmlamak, “to salute, greet”)
• سلاملق (selâmlık, “selamlik”)

Descendants

• Turkish: selam
• Gagauz: seläm
• → Albanian: selam
• → Cappadocian Greek: σελάμι (selámi)

Pahari-Potwari

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic سَلَام (salām).

Pronunciation

• (phr) IPA^(key): /sə.läːmə/

Noun

سلام (slām)

1. salutation
2. greeting
3. (literally) peace

Persian

Persian phrasebook

This entry is part of the phrasebook project, which presents criteria for inclusion based on utility, simplicity and commonness.

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic سَلَام (salām, “peace”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): /sa.ˈlaːm/

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [sä.lɑ́ːm]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [sä.lɑ́ːm]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [sä.lɑ́ːm]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [sä.lɔ́ːm]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [sæ.lɒ́ːm]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [sä.lɔ́m]

• Rhymes: -aːm

Readings
Classical reading?	salām
Dari reading?	salām
Iranian reading?	salâm
Tajik reading?	salom

• Audio (Iran):

  (file)

Interjection

سلام • (salām / salâm) (Tajik spelling салом)

1. hello, hi (a greeting when meeting someone)

   سلام علیکم! ― salām alaykum / salâm aleykom ― hello! (more formal)

2. hello (a greeting when answering the phone)

   Synonyms: (in Iran) الو (alo), (in Dari) هلو (halō)

Noun

سلام • (salām / salâm) (Tajik spelling салом)

1. salutation; greeting

   Synonym: درود (durūd / dorud)

   • c. 1390, Shams-ud-Dīn Muḥammad Ḥāfiẓ, “Ghazal 114”, in دیوان حافظ [The Divān of Ḥāfiẓ]‎^[1]:

     به بارگاه تو چون باد را نباشد بار
     کی اتفاق مجال سلام ما افتد

     ba bārgāh-i tu čūn bād rā na-bāšad bār
     kay ittifāq-i majāl-i salām-i mā uftad

     When even the wind has no right to pass through your reception room,
     How should the opportunity for me to say hello ever come to pass?

     (Classical Persian transliteration)

2. (military) salute
3. (Islam) the salam uttered at the end of prayer

Derived terms

verbs

• سلام دادن (salām dādan / salâm dâdan)
• سلام رساندن (salām rasāndan / salâm resândan)
• سلام کردن (salām kardan / salâm kardan)

non-verbs

• سلام علیکم (salām alaykum / salâm aleykom)

Related terms

Persian terms derived from the Arabic root س ل م (0 c, 8 e)

Descendants

• → Bengali: সেলাম (śelam), সালাম (salam)
• → Gujarati: સલામ (salām)
• → Hindustani:

  Hindi: सलाम (salām)

  Urdu: سلام (salām)

  • → Mauritian Creole: salam
• → Kazakh: сәлем (sälem)
• → Kyrgyz: салам (salam)
• → Marathi: सलाम (salām)
• → Mazanderani: سلام (selâm)
• → Nepali: सलाम (salām)
• →? Old Anatolian Turkish: سلام
  • > Ottoman Turkish: سلام (inherited)
    • > Turkish: selam (inherited)
    • > Gagauz: seläm (inherited)
  • > Azerbaijani: salam (inherited)
• → Punjabi: ਸਲਾਮ (salām)
• → Pashto: سلام (salām)
• → Sindhi: (salāmu)

  Arabic script: سَلامُ (salāmu)

  Devanagari script: सलामु

• → Telugu: సలాము (salāmu), సలాం (salāṁ)
• → Turkmen: salam, selam
• → Chagatai:
  • Uyghur: سالام (salam)
  • Uzbek: salom

Further reading

• Dehkhoda, Ali-Akbar (1931–), “سلام”, in Dehkhoda Dictionary Institute, editors, Dehkhoda Dictionary (in Persian), Tehran: University of Tehran Press.
• Hayyim, Sulayman (1934), “سلام”, in New Persian–English dictionary, Teheran: Librairie-imprimerie Béroukhim

Punjabi

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic سَلَام (salām).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Punjabi) IPA^(key): /sə.läːmə/

Noun

سلام • (salām) m (Gurmukhi spelling ਸਲਾਮ)

1. salutation
2. greeting
3. (literally) peace

Sindhi

Etymology

From Arabic سَلَام (salām).

Interjection

سَلامُ • (salāmu) (Devanagari सलामु)

1. (Islam) hello, hi

Noun

سَلامُ • (salāmu) m (Devanagari सलामु)

1. peace; greeting

South Levantine Arabic

Root
س ل م
8 terms

Etymology

Inherited from Arabic سَلام (salām).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sa.laːm/, [saˈlæːm]

• Audio (Ramallah):

  (file)

Noun

سلام • (salām) m (plural سلامات (salāmāt))

1. peace, peacefulness

Derived terms

• السلام عليكم (as-salāmu ʕalēkom, “peace be upon you”)

Southern Kurdish

Alternative forms

• سەڵام (sellam)

Etymology

From Arabic سَلَام (salām, “peace”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Ilami) /sæɫaːm/

Noun

سەلام (sælaːm) m

1. greeting
2. hello
3. hi

Urdu

Etymology

Borrowed from Classical Persian سَلَام (salām), itself from Arabic سَلَام (salām). First attested in c. 1503 as Middle Hindi سلام (slam).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /sə.lɑːm/
• Rhymes: -ɑːm
• Hyphenation: سَ‧لام

Interjection

سَلام • (salām) (Hindi spelling सलाम)

1. interjection used to greet or often fare adieu to someone.

   clipping of السلام علیکم (al-salām 'alaikum, “hello, hi, hiya”)

   سَلام! ― salām! ― hello!

   سَلام عَلَیکُم! ― salām 'alaikum! ― hello!

Noun

سَلام • (salām) m (Hindi spelling सलाम)

1. greeting, salutation
2. a salute (chiefly military but not limited to).

   پاکِسْتان تُجھے سَلام ― pākistān tujhe salām ― Salute to you, O Pakistan

3. farewell; adieu
4. regards

   اَبُّو کو میرا سَلام دینا

   abbū ko merā salām denā

   Send my regards to your father.

5. (religion, chiefly Islam) blessing – synonym of دُرُود (durūd)
6. (Islam) the salam invoked in salah
7. (Islam) one of the attributes of Allah
8. (literally, rare) peace

Declension

Declension of سلام

	singular	plural
direct	سَلام (salām)	سَلام (salām)
oblique	سَلام (salām)	سَلاموں (salāmõ)
vocative	سَلام (salām)	سَلامو (salāmo)

See also

Urdu terms derived from the Arabic root س ل م (0 c, 10 e)

Further reading

More information

• “سلام”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2026.
• Qureshi, Bashir Ahmad (1971), “سلام”, in Kitabistan's 20th Century Standard Dictionary, Lahore: Kitabistan Pub. Co.
• Platts, John T. (1884), “سلام”, in A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English, London: W. H. Allen & Co.
• Fallon, S. W. (1879), “سلام”, in A New Hindustani-English Dictionary, Banaras, London: Trubner and Co.
• John Shakespear (1834), “سلام”, in A dictionary, Hindustani and English: with a copious index, fitting the work to serve, also, as a dictionary of English and Hindustani, 3^rd edition, London: J.L. Cox and Son, →OCLC