khalfah

Khalfah is a term used in different contexts, and there is no single, universally accepted definition. In Arabic, related words such as khalifa (caliph) and khilāfa (caliphate) derive from a root associated with succession and replacement. The spelling khalfah is not standard in authoritative Arabic dictionaries, and when encountered in English-language texts it often reflects nonstandard transliteration or phonetic rendering rather than a distinct lexical item.

As a name: Khalfah can appear as a personal surname or family name in some Arabic-speaking communities, with no fixed meaning beyond its use as a family identifier.

As a toponym: In a few cases, khalfah or similarly spelled variants may appear as place names. Such toponyms usually arise from local naming practices and do not imply a formal historical or political designation.

Cultural and scholarly usage: Because reliable sources do not consistently define or retain a separate entry for khalfah, references typically treat it as a transliteration variant of more common terms or as an ambiguous proper name.

See also: khalifa, khilāfa, caliphate, list of Arabic surnames, toponymy.