mallam

mal·lam
M3A1L1L1A1M3
UK/ˈmæ.ləm/UK/ˈmɑː-/US/ˈmɑ-/Africa, West/ˈma.lam/

noun

In Africa, a teacher of the Qur'an.

OriginArabic مُعَلِّم (muʕallim) →
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Meanings

nounmallam (plural mallams)

plural mallams · alternative maalam · alternative malam

  1. IslamIn Africa, a teacher of the Qur'an.

Origin

  1. Arabicعَلَّمَ (ʕallama)
  2. Arabicمُعَلِّم (muʕallim)
  3. Englishmallam

Borrowed from Arabic مُعَلِّم (muʕallim, “teacher”). First attested in the 1820s.

More words from Arabic

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with mallam

slalom
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

mallam. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mallam

MLA

“mallam.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mallam. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mallam,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mallam.

Source: mallam on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.