# what is the linguistical connection between the words 'islam' and 'muslim'? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 7, 2006, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-linguistical-connection-between-the-words-islam-and-muslim/355754 "2006-05-07T10:12:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-linguistical-connection-between-the-words-islam-and-muslim/355754/1 "2006-05-07T10:12:28Z")
miss cactus asked me today why somebody who practises Islam is a “muslim” - there is no obvious connection between the two words is there is in Buddhism/buddhist or Christianity/christian. The connection between jew/Judaism is also sort of vague, but is understandable when you look at the phonetics. My best guess is that has to with Arabic grammar or perhaps a nod to Muhammad. But what is the straight dope? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-linguistical-connection-between-the-words-islam-and-muslim/355754/2 "2006-05-07T10:17:36Z")
Actually there is an obvious connection between those two words. The root, IIRC, is S-L-M. So I **sl** a **m** is the name of the faith and Mu **sl** i **m** is the word used to describe a practitioner of that faith. ---
**Author:** ![maziiadar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@maziiadar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maziiadar)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-linguistical-connection-between-the-words-islam-and-muslim/355754/3 "2006-05-07T10:21:52Z")
> [@cactus waltz](#): > > miss cactus asked me today why somebody who practises Islam is a “muslim” - there is no obvious connection between the two words is there is in Buddhism/buddhist or Christianity/christian. The connection between jew/Judaism is also sort of vague, but is understandable when you look at the phonetics. > > My best guess is that has to with Arabic grammar or perhaps a nod to Muhammad. But what is the straight dope? Sure there is an obvious connection, I **sl** a **m** - mu **sl** i **m**. The word Muslim is the arabic form, I don’t know the English term, but the arabic equivalent of “ist” or “ian” form for Islam. It is just the prefix mou stuck onto Islam in a way. ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-linguistical-connection-between-the-words-islam-and-muslim/355754/4 "2006-05-07T10:40:50Z")
> [@maziiadar](#): > > It is just the prefix mou stuck onto Islam in a way. I figured as such. But it’s that very prefix that throws me off. What is the meaning of it? ---
**Author:** ![maziiadar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@maziiadar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maziiadar)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-linguistical-connection-between-the-words-islam-and-muslim/355754/5 "2006-05-07T11:01:01Z")
> [@cactus waltz](#): > > I figured as such. But it’s that very prefix that throws me off. What is the meaning of it? It is making the word that part of speech, I don’t know the English for it, maybe “participle”? Like “ian” makes Christ into Christian in English. I know, for example that the arab word for study is darasa. The arab word for school is madrasa - same thing, sticking mou on makes it a noun from a verb. ---
**Author:** ![Pjen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Pjen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pjen)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-linguistical-connection-between-the-words-islam-and-muslim/355754/6 "2006-05-07T12:22:09Z")
[http://www.religioustolerance.org/isl\_intr.htm](http://www.religioustolerance.org/isl_intr.htm) Islam, is derived from the Arabic word “salam,” which is often interpreted as meaning “peace.” However “submission” would be a better translation. A Muslim is a follower of Islam. “Muslim” is an Arabic word that refers to a person who submits themselves to the will of God. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim) The word Muslim is an Arabic agent noun formed from the causative (Form IV) of the tri-consonantal root S-L-M سلم (be at peace), which is أَسْلَمَ meaning “to submit” or “to surrender”. The plural form is “Muslimeen” (مسلمين) in Arabic and “Muslims” in English. The word Islam is the corresponding abstract noun, meaning “submission [to God].” ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-linguistical-connection-between-the-words-islam-and-muslim/355754/7 "2006-05-07T14:05:10Z")
> [@Pjen](#): > > The plural form is “Muslimeen” (مسلمين) in Arabic This explains why some Germanic languages translates muslim with “muselman”. Thank you for that answer, **Pjen**. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-linguistical-connection-between-the-words-islam-and-muslim/355754/8 "2006-05-07T16:43:02Z")
A great book for understanding how Arabic builds its language off of its three consonant roots is [The Unfolding of Language : An Evolutionary Tour of Mankind’s Greatest Invention, by Guy Deutscher](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0805079076/qid=1147020069/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/104-7375460-8164765?s=books&v=glance&n=283155). He goes into great detail showing how words from every part of speech can be built up from the basic root, and the few basic rules that apply to most roots in the language. Fascinating reading. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2006, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-linguistical-connection-between-the-words-islam-and-muslim/355754/9 "2006-05-07T18:48:52Z")
Just to make it explicit for those playing at home, Semitic languages such as Arabic (and Hebrew) have consonant roots into which vowel infixes (and other affixes) can be inserted. So the root S-L-M could have different vowels inserted into it with different meanings.