Mosalman

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A term historically used to denote a follower of the Islamic faith or a Muslim individual from certain cultural or regional backgrounds
2. An ethnoreligious identifier referring to those who adhere to Islam, often within South Asian or Central Asian contexts
3. A designation for people practicing the religion of Islam, especially in geographical areas where this terminology is culturally prevalent

Etymology: Mosalman is a Persian word, from "musalman," which itself comes from Arabic "muslim," meaning one who submits to God. The Persian form added an extra "a" sound in a way that is typical of how Persian shaped Arabic loanwords, and it became the everyday term for a Muslim across much of Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia. English speakers met the word through travellers and colonial-era writers in South Asia, where Persian was the language of administration and literature for centuries. In those contexts it was used alongside, and sometimes in place of, the Arabic-derived "Muslim," and it remains in use in Urdu, Hindi and Bengali, where "musalman" is still a common everyday word.

Synonyms: muslim, mussulman, mahometan

Antonyms: infidel, nonbeliever