‘Muallim’: The Arabic word for those who pass on knowledge and skill

From classrooms and workshops to pop songs, it describes someone from whom others learn

The Arabic word muallim means a teacher whose lessons can be taught beyond the classroom.

While commonly referring to educators in schools, the term is also bestowed upon those who pass on their skills in a particular craft, or guidance around it.

Muallim al-lugha al-Arabiya means “Arabic teacher”, while muallim khususi refers to a private tutor. The feminine form is muallima, while the plurals muallimun and muallimin are used in formal Arabic.

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From the root letters ain, lam and mim, muallim carries further meanings associated with knowledge, learning and teaching.

Related words include ilm, meaning knowledge, and taalim, meaning education. The verb allama means “he taught”, while taallama means “he learnt”. Maluma refers to a piece of information, while malum means “known”.

Malum, meaning “known”, is often heard in Abu Dhabi taxis when drivers recognise a location. Victor Besa / The National

The latter is a common refrain heard in UAE taxis, where drivers speaking broken Arabic may say ana malum, essentially meaning “I know the location”.

The word’s sense of admiration and reverence for a person of knowledge is found in one of Arabic poetry’s most familiar verses, written by Egyptian poet Ahmed Shawqi in the late 1920s: “Qum lil-muallim waffihi al-tabjila, kada al-muallim an yakuna rasula”, which means: “Stand for the teacher and show him reverence. The teacher almost becomes a messenger.”

Outside the classroom, the word takes on a broader meaning, as classical Arabic dictionaries also define a muallim as someone qualified to practise a trade independently.

Muallim najjar can refer to a master carpenter, while muallim bina describes a master builder.

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In everyday conversation, ya muallim takes on a respectful, sometimes playful meaning. Said in a casual tone, muallim can mean “boss”, “chief” or “mate”, depending on the context and the relationship.

This use is found in one of the biggest Arabic pop hits of the past 20 years, Lm3allem, by Moroccan singer Saad Lamjarred. Released in 2015, the chorus says: “You are the boss, and from you, we learn.”

Whether academic or rooted in a craft, muallim recognises both the value of knowledge and the esteem given to those who pass it on.