âlem

âlem, also spelled alem or alam, is a noun used in Turkish and Persian to denote the world, universe, or a realm. In Turkish orthography it is written with a circumflex on the a to indicate a longer vowel, and the term also appears in Urdu and other languages with similar meaning. The word is common in both everyday speech and literary or religious contexts.

Etymology and scope: The term derives from the Arabic word ʿālam, which broadly refers to the world or realm and has influenced several languages through historical contact. Its semantic field includes the physical world, the cosmos, and various domains or levels of existence.

Usage and nuance: In Turkish, Persian, and Urdu, âlem is used to speak of different scales of reality—from the tangible world to more abstract or spiritual realms. It appears in poetry, philosophy, and religious discourse, and it forms part of many compound expressions and proper names. Plural forms such as âlemler can mean "worlds" or "realms."

Islamic cosmology and mysticism: In Sufi and broader Islamic thought, the term is often used in compounds that denote distinct ontological planes, such as alam-e-malakut (the realm of the angels) and alam-e-jabarut or analogous constructs in related traditions. These usages reflect a layered view of existence in which multiple realms coexist or interact.

Notes: The pronunciation and usage vary by language and context, and diacritics in Turkish indicate vowel length. Across Turkic and Persian-speaking cultures, âlem remains a versatile term for discussing the scope of existence and the structure of the cosmos.