وَلِيّ
waliyymasculine
In Arabic, the word for saint can be expressed as وَلِيّ (waliyy) or قِدِّيس.
Meaning: person proclaimed as saint (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| وَلِيّ | waliyy | masculine |
| قِدِّيس | qiddīs | masculine |
The choice of word depends entirely on the religious context of the saint being discussed.
What does it mean word for word?
The term وَلِيّ literally means a friend, protector or guardian.
Which one should you use?
وَلِيّ is used specifically to refer to a saint or a 'friend of God' within an Islamic context, whereas قِدِّيس is used specifically to refer to a saint within a Christian context.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Iraq, the word 'saint' is commonly referred to as قديس for masculine.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the Islamic term وَلِيّ is أَوْلِيَاء, and the plural form of the Christian term قِدِّيس is قِدِّيسُونَ.
How do you pronounce it?
waliyy
Did you know?
- The term قِدِّيس is closely related to the word قُدْس, which is used in the Arabic name for the city of Jerusalem, القُدْس.
- While وَلِيّ means 'saint' in a religious sense, it is also the standard word used in legal documents to mean a 'guardian' or 'legal representative' for a minor.
- Unlike the English 'saint', which is often a formal title granted by a church, وَلِيّ can be used by a community to describe someone they perceive as holy without any official proclamation.
Examples in context
- القديس بطرسSaint Peter
- كَانَ هَذَا الرَّجُلُ وَلِيّاً صَالِحاً.kana hadha al-rajulu waliyyan salihan.This man was a righteous saint.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “saint” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
