1a imam, prayer leader; b leader; master; 2 plumb line – WehrCowan1979.
▪ From WSem *√ʔMM ‘to go toward, lead’ – Huehnergard2011.
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▪ (Huehnergard2011:) Engl imam, from Ar ʔimām ‘leader, imam’, from ʔamma, vb. I, ‘to go, lead’.
►ʔaʔimmaẗ al‑ʔislām, n.m.pl., the old teaching authorities or spititual leaders of Islam; faḍīlaẗ al‑ʔimām al‑ʔakbar, n.f., title of high‑ranking religious dignitaries (esp. of the Rector of Azhar University) ►ʔamma, u (ʔimāmaẗ), vb. I, 1 to lead the way, lead by one’s example (s.o.); 2 to lead in prayer. – Cf. also 3 (vn. ʔamm) ↗ʔamma; 4 (vn. ʔumūmaẗ) ↗ʔumm ►ĭʔtamma, vb. VIII, to follow the example (bi‑ of s.o.) ►ʔimāmaẗ, n.f., 1a imamah, function or office of the prayer leader; 1b imamate; 1c leading position; 2 precedence ►ʔimāmiyyāt, n.f.pl., standards