*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of Ali

From Arabic عَلِيّ (ʕaliyy, literally “high, exalted”), from the Arabic root ع ل ي (ʕ l y).

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
name

A male given name from Arabic. · The caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib, considered by Shiites to be Muhammad's first successor (imam). · A surname from Arabic.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Arabic عَلِيّ (ʕaliyy, literally “high, exalted”), from the Arabic root ع ل ي (ʕ l y).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ar",
        "3": "ع ل ي"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ar",
        "3": "عَلِيّ",
        "lit": "high, exalted"
      },
      "expansion": "Arabic عَلِيّ (ʕaliyy, literally “high, exalted”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "ar-root",
      "args": {
        "1": "ع ل ي",
        "nocat": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "ع ل ي (ʕ l y)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "عَلِيّ",
      "علي#Arabic"
    ],
    [
      "ع ل ي",
      "Appendix:Arabic roots/ع ل ي"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
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      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "A male given name from Arabic.",
        "The caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib, considered by Shiites to be Muhammad's first successor (imam).",
        "A surname from Arabic."
      ],
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}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
name

A diminutive of the female given name Alison or of its variants. · A diminutive of the male given name Alistair or of its variants.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Shortening.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [],
  "links": [],
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  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "A diminutive of the female given name Alison or of its variants.",
        "A diminutive of the male given name Alistair or of its variants."
      ],
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
name

Synonym of Ngari: the Mandarin Chinese-derived name.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Borrowed from Mandarin 阿里 (Ālǐ).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "3": "cmn:阿里",
        "text": "+",
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      },
      "expansion": "[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Mandarin\", \"term\" : \"阿里\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"cmn\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"Ali\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"Ali\">\nBorrowed from Mandarin 阿里 (Ālǐ)."
    },
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    ]
  ],
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for Ali →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-QWxp