Salaam

Salaam, written in Arabic as سلام, is a word meaning peace. It derives from the Arabic triliteral root S-L-M, related to safety, welfare, and security; the term appears in religious and cultural contexts in many Muslim-majority regions. In everyday usage, it is a greeting used to wish peace or well-being.

Common greeting forms include As-salamu alaykum ("peace be upon you") and the customary reply Wa alaykum as-salam ("and upon you be peace"). In casual speech, Salaam is often used on its own to say hello, particularly in Persian, Urdu, Turkish, and other languages borrowing from Arabic. The pronunciation and spelling vary (salam, salam, selam).

Geographic and cultural usage: Widely used in the Arab world, Iran, the Indian subcontinent, Turkey, Central Asia, East Africa, and Southeast Asia, and among Muslim communities worldwide. In non-Arabic languages, Salaam survives in loanwords, names, and place names; as a given name or surname.

Other meanings and uses: It also denotes the concept of peace in philosophy and religion; in modern contexts it appears in media, literature, and organizations, such as peace campaigns or charitable foundations using the word Salaam. The term is also encountered in given names and personal identifiers across diverse cultures.