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Where does the word "halal" come from? It comes from Arabic ḥalāl, and was adopted directly into English (1850s).
Read the full story
Where does the word "halal" come from? It comes from Arabic ḥalāl, and was adopted directly into English (1850s).
Halal’s story begins in Arabic: ḥalāl meant “permitted.” Permitted, lawful. It reached English by 1850s as halal. Halal butchers spread in British cities from the 1960s. Today, halal means food prepared according to Islamic law.
- Stage 1 · Arabic · medieval ḥalāl "permitted", permitted, lawful.
- Stage 2 · English · 1850s halal "permitted (food)", halal butchers spread in British cities from the 1960s.