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u·le·ma or u·la·ma

(′lə-mä)

pl.n.

Muslim scholars trained in Islam and Islamic law.

[Turkish 'ulemā, from Arabic 'ulamā', wise men, pl. of 'ālim, wise, learned, active participle of 'alima, to know; see ʿlm in the Appendix of Semitic roots.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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