1
Stage 1 of 3
mawla
Arabic · medieval
"master, patron"
from waliya, "he governed"; originally meant "master"
2
Stage 2 of 3
molla / mulla
Persian · medieval
"religious scholar"
narrowed to a title for a learned religious scholar as it spread through Persian and Turkish courts
3
Stage 3 of 3
mullah
English · 1610s
"Muslim theologian and teacher of sacred law"
adopted via Ottoman and Persian contacts
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