Whether you’re a parent trying to decipher your children’s WhatsApp messages or someone who can no longer keep up with the latest trends and has resigned to just cluelessly nodding along to what people say, you may have noticed a few new arrivals to the London urban dictionary as of late.
You might have heard these words plenty of times before, and you might even be using them yourself without the slightest idea of where they come from, but it’s all part of the ever-changing street slang spoken in London.
However, you might be surprised to discover that some of these words have actually been borrowed from Arabic, and many of them have Islamic undertones.
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Here’s a look at 10 of these words that have recently entered themselves into everyday verbal interactions in the capital.
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Wallahi
This word literally means “By Allah” and was traditionally reserved for taking an oath and presenting eye-witness testimony in Islamic courts.
When saying “wallahi”, one is swearing by God that what they are saying is the absolute truth – it’s a bit like saying “swear down” or variations of that.
In parts of London that are more dominated by the Urdu-speaking community, the word used instead might be “gassem”, but due to the over-insistence on using the word “wallahi” by the Somali community particularly, this word has now spread to Londoners of all walks of life.
Alhamdulillah
This word was recently made popular by Russian mixed martial artist and former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
A devout Muslim himself, Khabib would often be heard saying “Alhamdulillah” after his matches.
It means “praise be to God” or “thank God”, and is said by Muslims as a way of humbling themselves whenever they achieve something great.
The word has also been picked up by Norwegian football sensation Erling Haaland of the German Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund, who has helped popularise the word among non-Muslims as well.
Bismillah
Fans of the classic rock band Queen would have heard this one before.
It was used in the 1975 hit Bohemian Rhapsody (Bismillah! No, we will not let you go(Let him go!) ). Since then it has been regularly used by American rapper Yasiin Bey, formerly known as Mos Def. It was also used by Jay Z in his 2017 song Blue’s Freestyle.
Bismillah in English means “in the name of God” and is usually used by Muslims whenever they’re about to start or embark upon anything meaningful, such as eating a meal, going on a long journey, or even just waking up in the morning.
Akhi
Akhi is basically the Arabic word for “brother”, or more precisely, “my brother”.
Until recently, this word was exclusively used by the Muslim community, usually between males to indicate their closeness and friendship with one another.
But lately, the word has been adopted by non-Muslims as well, thanks to its usage by some popular Muslim rap and drill artists in the London music scene.
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Khalas
The word “khalas” means “enough” but it can also be used to mean “the end” or “there you go” as in “there you go, I told you so”.
Unlike the word “akhi” or some other words in this list, this word hasn’t really been used much by rap or drill artists.
It has spread primarily by the power of speech, often through a slip of the tongue by London’s Arabic-speaking community or by young Muslims on TikTok.
It seems that other Londoners have taken a liking to the word, as it is gradually appearing more and more in everyday London slang.
Inshallah
This is Arabic for “God willing”. Whenever Muslims make any kind of long-term plan to do something, they often say “inshallah” as a way of acknowledging that they will only be able to complete what they intend to do with the permission and blessing of God.
It is also often for when you hope something will happen, but something may be out of your control, such as “Inshallah, we go on holiday soon if the Covid travel restrictions don’t change.”
The likes of Sting and Drake have also used it in their songs.
Mashallah
This is another word Drake has used in his songs. Another music artist to pick this one up is Nicki Minaj, who uses it in her remix of Plain Jane.
It translates to “Whatever God has willed” and is usually said in appreciation of something good and to protect it from being jinxed by the “evil eye” of jealousy.
Outside of a religious context, people might also say it when they see someone who they think is attractive as an exclamation.
Wallad and bint
You might be more likely to hear “wallad” in South London. It’s the Arabic word for “boy”, but in most contexts in English, it translates to “idiot”. To get the attention of a person, one might say “ya wallad” in a harsh tone of voice.
Part of the reason for its popularity in English may be confusion with the Cockney term “wally”.
Likewise, “bint” comes from the Arabic word for girl. In English, it is usually used as a derogatory word for a woman.
Askari
In Arabic, this word means “soldier” or “army”, but in London street slang it’s used to refer to the police.
The misuse of the word is an indication that the word was made popular by Muslims who come from a non-Arabic speaking backgrounds – possibly by the Somali, Nigerian or Bengali community.
Halal and haram
Halal means “permissible”, and haram means “impermissible” or “forbidden”.
The word “halal” was first put on the London radar by early Muslim arrivals during the Windrush period, namely Pakistanis, Bengalis and Indians.
Londoners came to recognise the word in relation to halal meat, but more recently it has been used in a much broader sense, in sectors such as types of banking and investment.
As the word “halal” has become more widespread, so has its antonym “haram”.
These words have become so embedded in London slang that a non-Muslim who catches a Muslim doing something that contradicts their religious values might ask “isn’t that haram?” Someone who repeatedly engages in such activities might even be called a “harami”.
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https://www.mylondon.news/news/local-news/arabic-words-made-way-london-21772074
