mashallah
/mɑˈʃælə/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.90 in modern English
17
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
intj
Expressing the speaker's gratitude for a blessing or their recognition of divine intervention in its occurrence. God willed it.
intj
Expressing the speaker's wish for a fortune to be maintained, especially against the evil eye; used in congratulation.
intj
An indication of excitement, surprise or astonishment. Wow!
name
A male given name from Arabic مَا شَاءَ ٱللَّه (mā šāʔa l-lah, “God willed it”).
Example Sentences
- "Mashallah, I hear Akhmad say. Mashallah. I ask him what it means. “Mashallah, it's to be thankful. Something wonderful.” It means, literally, “God wills it.” And yet it seems, there's a kind of joy inside the word, too. Some large, cosmic gratitude."
- "'Mashallah, fine set of boys you've got here, sir,' he smiled, shaking us all by the hand, and giving Jamal a mock punch on the shoulder. 'Y'all new to the masjid?' ' Yes, we are,' Dad answered him. 'It's our first time here as a family.'"
- "At this early stage of the narrative, this manner of describing Mashallah's state of mind foreshadows a more radical loss of self, i.e., a journey that transforms him from an ordinary and insignificant bank guard to a visitor to the court of Harun..."
- "Mashallah, the cook, housekeeper and moral guardian of the family, had a different relationship with each of us. For Achim he felt deep respect, with some distance; he was jealous of Marianne, fearing for his sovereignty in the domestic sphere;..."
Etymology
From Arabic مَا شَاءَ ٱللّٰه (mā šāʔa llāh).
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: مَا شَاءَ ٱللّٰه, ش ي ء, مَا شَاءَ ٱللَّه
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /mɑˈʃælə/
- British English: /mɑːˈʃælə/