alam

Ultimately derived from ala (“area”).

alam (genitive alama, partitive alama)

1. inferior, something or someone that is of a lower standing

Declension of alam (ÕS type 2/õpik, no gradation)
		singular	plural
nominative		alam	alamad
accusative	nom.
	gen.	alama
genitive			alamate
partitive		alamat	alamaid
illative		alamasse	alamatesse alamaisse
inessive		alamas	alamates alamais
elative		alamast	alamatest alamaist
allative		alamale	alamatele alamaile
adessive		alamal	alamatel alamail
ablative		alamalt	alamatelt alamailt
translative		alamaks	alamateks alamaiks
terminative		alamani	alamateni
essive		alamana	alamatena
abessive		alamata	alamateta
comitative		alamaga	alamatega

• alam-

• IPA^(key): /ˈʔalam/ [ˈʔa.lɐm]
• Rhymes: -alam
• Syllabification: a‧lam

alam (Hanunoo spelling ᜠᜮᜫ᜴)

1. knowledge; understanding; comprehension

   Magkaalaman yi niko.

   I know.

• Conklin, Harold C. (1953), Hanunóo-English Vocabulary (University of California Publications in Linguistics), volume 9, London, England: University of California Press, →OCLC, page 24

• Hyphenation: a‧lam
• IPA^(key): /ˈʔalam/ [ˈʔa.lam]

álam

1. knowledge, learning

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˈalam/ [ˈa.lam]
• Rhymes: -alam
• Syllabification: a‧lam

Inherited from Malay alam, from Classical Malay عالم (alam), from Arabic عَالَم (ʕālam).^[1]

alam (plural alam-alam)

1. universe: the sum of everything that exists in the cosmos, including time and space itself

   Synonym: semesta

2. nature: the natural world; that which consists of all things unaffected by or predating human technology, production, and design

   Synonym: semula jadi (Standard Malay)

3. world

   Synonyms: buana, dunia, jagat

4. realm: a territory or state, as ruled by a specific power, especially by a king

   Synonyms: daerah, kerajaan, negeri

From Arabic عَلَم (ʕalam, “flag, banner; authority, distinguished man”).^[2]

alam

1. banner, standard

   Synonyms: bendera, panji

2. an official of religious affairs in Banten and Madura

• “alam”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

alam

1. bird

alam

1. down

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈa.ɫãː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈaː.lam]

alam

1. inflection of alō:
   1. first-person singular future active indicative
   2. first-person singular present active subjunctive

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈaː.ɫãː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈaː.lam]

ālam

1. accusative singular of āla

From Arabic عَالَم (ʿālam, “world; universe”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈalam/ [ˈʔa.lam]
• Rhymes: -am
• Hyphenation: a‧lam

alam (Jawi spelling عالم, plural alam-alam or alam²)

1. nature; the natural environment (the physical world including plants, animals, and landscapes).

   Synonym: semula jadi

   Pemandangan alam di kampung itu sangat indah.

   The nature view in the village is very beautiful.

   Kita mesti menjaga kebersihan alam sekitar.

   We must maintain the cleanliness of the environment.

2. world; universe; realm (the earth, all of space, or a particular sphere of existence or activity).

   Synonyms: dunia, buana

   Tuhan mencipta seluruh alam.

   God created the entire universe.

   Dia hidup dalam alam fantasinya sendiri.

   He lives in his own fantasy world.

• → Indonesian: alam
• →? Hanunoo: alam
• →? Hiligaynon: alam
• →? Tagalog: alam

• "alam" in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu (PRPM) [Malay Literary Reference Centre (PRPM)] (in Malay), Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017
  (also see "alam" at PRPM first version)

alam

1. herd, flock

alam

1. third-person plural present indicative of alar

From Proto-Central Philippine *adam (“wise; intelligent; experienced”) according to Zorc (1979). Compare Hanunoo alam, Asi ayam, Central Bikol aram, Aklanon aeam, Hiligaynon alam, Waray-Waray aram.

Alternatively, possibly borrowed from Malay alam (“nature; world; experience”), from Arabic عَالَم (ʕālam, “world, universe”), from Aramaic עָלְמָא / ܥܳܠܡܳܐ (ʿāləmā) or Hebrew עוֹלָם (ʿōlām), possibly from Akkadian 𒂖𒆷𒈬𒌋𒀀 (/⁠ellamu, illamu⁠/). Compare Malay pengalaman. However, Wolff (1976) argued that the Philippine cognates make this connection less likely because the consonants such as ⟨r⟩ in the place of ⟨l⟩ would not be expected.

• (Standard Tagalog)
  • IPA^(key): /ʔaˈlam/ [ʔɐˈlam] (noun; adjective)
    • Rhymes: -am
  • IPA^(key): /ˈʔalam/ [ˈʔaː.lɐm] (now uncommon) (noun)
    • Rhymes: -alam
• Syllabification: a‧lam

alám or alam (Baybayin spelling ᜀᜎᜋ᜔)

1. knowledge; learning; wisdom

   Synonyms: talino, dunong, taho

2. understanding; sense

   Synonyms: unawa, taho, tanto, intindi, lirip, arok, batid, kabatiran, komprensiyon

3. involvement; participation
4. (obsolete) goodwill; kindheartedness

   Synonyms: bait, mabuting-loob

   Malaking lubha ang alam ng loob mo.

   The kindness of your heart is too great.

5. (obsolete) gentleness; meekness

   Synonym: amo

6. (obsolete) affability

alám (Baybayin spelling ᜀᜎᜋ᜔)

1. known; familiar

   Synonyms: batid, lantad

2. aware; conscious; cognizant; sensible

   Synonyms: batid, tukoy, taho, tanto

3. clear; understood

   Synonyms: maliwanag, naintindihan

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ˈʔalam/ [ˈʔaː.lɐm]
• Rhymes: -alam
• Syllabification: a‧lam

alam (Baybayin spelling ᜀᜎᜋ᜔) (now dialectal, Batangas)

1. permission

   Synonyms: pahintulot, permiso

alam (Baybayin spelling ᜀᜎᜋ᜔) (now dialectal, Batangas)

1. granted permission to proceed; allowed

   Synonyms: pinahintulutan, pinayagan

• The senses can no longer be used on its own in Standard Tagalog and is mostly found in derived terms.

• “alam”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, 2018
• Noceda, Fr. Juan José de; Sanlucar, Fr. Pedro de (1860), Vocabulario de la lengua tagala, compuesto por varios religiosos doctos y graves, y coordinado por…, ultimamente aumentado y corregido por varios religiosos de la Orden de Agustinos calzados.‎^[3] (overall work in Spanish and Classical Tagalog), Manila: Ramírez y Giraudier.
• San Buena Ventura, Fr. Pedro de (1613), Vocabulario de lengua tagala. El romance castellano puesto primero. Primera, y segunda parte.‎^[4] (overall work in Early Modern Spanish and Classical Tagalog), as directed by Gov. Gen. Juan de Silva, Pila, Laguna: La noble Villa de Pila, por Tomás Pinpin y Domingo Loag.
  • page 27: “Afabilidad) Alam (pp) y buena cõdiciõ”
  • page 96: “Auiſar) Alam (pc) haçiendo ſaver algo a alguno”
  • page 108: “Benignidad) Alam (pp) de coraçon”
  • page 108: “Benigno) Alam (pp) y manſo de coraçon”
  • page 110: “Bienacondicionado) Alam (pp) benigno y manſo”
  • page 124: “Buena condiçion) Alam (pp) y afable”
  • page 180: “Condiçion) Alam (pp) buena”
  • page 183: “Consorte) Alam (pp) en lo que hiço alguno, caalam, el tal conſorte”
  • page 214: “Dar) Alam [(pp)] licençia al que la pide”
  • page 244: “Deſpedirſe) Alam (pp) pidiendo licençia”
  • page 389: “Liçençia) Alam (pp) [pedir a] alguno para irſe”
  • page 406: “Manſedumbre) Alam (pp) interior y exterior”
  • page 406: “Manſo) Alam (pp) que de nada ſe altera”
  • page 444: “Noble) Alam (pp) de condiçion y bondad”
  • page 446: “Noſe) Alam (pp) loque [ſe me] pregunta”
  • page 472: “Pedir) Alam (pp) liçençia para irſe”
  • page 538: “Saber) Alam (pp) alguna coſa”
  • page 538: “Sabiduria) Alam [(pp)]”
  • page 602: “Voluntad) Alam (pp) buena”

• Zorc, David Paul (1979–1983), Core Etymological Dictionary of Filipino: Part 1, page 9
• Wolff, John U. (1976), “Malay borrowings in Tagalog”, in C.D. Cowan & O.W. Wolters, editors, Southeast Asian History and Historiography: Essays Presented to D. G. E. Hall‎^[5], Ithaca: Cornell University Press, page 360
• Potet, Jean-Paul G. (2013), Arabic and Persian Loanwords in Tagalog, Lulu Press, →ISBN, page 132

• alma, Alma

Ultimately from Arabic عَالَم (ʕālam).

• IPA^(key): [ˈa.lam]

alam

1. world, universe

• Rika Hayami-Allen (2001), A descriptive study of the language of Ternate, the northern Moluccas, Indonesia, University of Pittsburgh

From English alarm.

alam

1. alarm

• Volker, C. A. (general editor), et al. (2008), Papua New Guinea Tok Pisin English Dictionary, Oxford University Press in association with Wantok Niuspepa, →ISBN, page 2

• IPA^(key): [aˈlam]

alam

1. hand
2. finger

• Jean-Christophe Verstraete (2025), A Dictionary of Morrobolam, Berlin: De Gruyter, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 71

Borrowed from Arabic عَلَم (ʕalam).

alam (plural alamlar)

1. flag

Nominalization of a root lam (see also related terms), from Proto-Central Naga *lam, from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *lum (“to be warm”). Bruhn fails to detect this word family in Yimkhiung.

alam

1. warmth

• Raguibou, I.D.; Borah, Dinkur (29 July 2022), A Yimkhiung-English-Hindi Trilingual Dictionary‎^[6], Centre for Endangered Languages, Tezpur University, page 3
• Bruhn, Daniel Wayne (2014), A Phonological Reconstruction of Proto-Central Naga‎^[7], Berkeley: University of California, page 221