Word 'Inshallah' added to German dictionary

The Arabic word, ‘Inshallah’, meaning “if Allah wills it,” has been recognised by Germany’s most popular and authoritative Duden dictionary, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

The Arabic word ‘Inshallah’ will be considered as a German word after the expression has made it to the Duden, the most popular dictionary of the German language.

The new entry is spelled as “inschallah” in the Duden which currently appears in its digital version, however, it is unclear whether it will be published in print or not, Sputnik International said in a report.

The Duden is the most authoritative and popular dictionary of the German language; it has long been the prescriptive handbook for German grammar and spelling – Germany’s Merriam-Webster of sorts. It’s been issued since 1880 and is now in its 27th edition.

The inclusion was made after a Turkish word ‘oha’ into the dictionary which came from the Muslim world. ‘Oha’ is used as an expression of astonishment or surprise which is quite similar to the English word ‘whoa’.

At nearly 5 million, Germany’s Muslim population is the second-largest in Europe followed by France that makes up about 6 per cent of the country’s population while three in five German Muslims have Turkish descent.