Islamic
UK[ɪzˈlæmɪk]US[ɪzˈlæmɪk]
adj
Relating to Islam, its laws, its culture, or its people.
Morpheme Breakdown
islam
ic
islam
submission to God
ic
of, pertaining to
Etymology
The word 'Islamic' is a modern English formation, directly derived from the name of the religion 'Islam'. The core term 'Islam' entered English in the early 17th century from Arabic 'islām', meaning 'submission' (to the will of God), itself from the root verb 'aslama' ('he submitted'). The English adjectival suffix '-ic', borrowed via Latin from Greek, is a productive morpheme used to form relational adjectives. Thus, 'Islamic' literally constructs the meaning 'pertaining to or characteristic of Islam', a process that mirrors the formation of other religion-based adjectives like 'Judaic' or 'Christian'. It describes anything associated with the faith, its teachings, and the civilization it inspired.
Analysis
Structure: islam + ic
'Islam' (Arabic origin, meaning 'submission to God') + 'ic' (English suffix from Latin -icus, Greek -ikos, forming adjectives meaning 'of, pertaining to').
Examples
The museum has a magnificent collection of Islamic art.
Islamic law provides guidelines for both personal conduct and social justice.
The conference focused on the contributions of Islamic scholars to medieval science.