آیت‌الله

Persian

Alternative forms

آیةالله (āyatu-l-lāh / âyato-l-lâh)
آیت الله (āyatu l-lāh / âyato l-lâh)

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic آيَة اللّٰه (āyat allāh).

Pronunciation

(Classical Persian) IPA^(key): /ʔaː.ja.tul.ˈlaːh/

(Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔɑː.jä.t̪ʰʊl.lɑ́ːʱ]
- (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [ʔɑː.jä.t̪ʰʊl.lɑ́ː]
- (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [ʔɔː.jä.t̪ʰul.lɔ́ː]

(Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔɒː.jæ.t̪ʰol.lɒ́ːʰ]

(Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔɔ.jä.t̪ʰul.lɔ́ʱ]

Readings
Classical reading^?	āyatullāh
Dari reading^?	āyatullāh
Iranian reading^?	âyatollâh
Tajik reading^?	oyatulloh

Noun

آیت‌الله • (āyatu-l-lāh / âyato-l-lâh) (plural آیت‌الله‌ها (āyatu-l-lāh-hā / âyato-l-lâh-hâ), Tajik spelling оятуллоҳ)

ayatollah

Descendants

(through Iranian Persian)
- → Dutch: ayatollah
- → English: ayatollah
  → Hindi: अयतोल्लाह (aytollāh)
- → French: ayatollah
- → Italian: ayatollah
- → Romanian: ayatollah
→ Azerbaijani: ayətullah
→ Bengali: আয়াতুল্লাহ (aẏatullah)
→ Hindustani:
Hindi: आयतुल्लाह (āytullāh)

Urdu: آیَتُ ٱللہ (āyatu llāh)