mallam

/ ˈmælæm; -əm /

noun

1. (in Islamic W Africa) a man learned in Koranic studies
2. (in N Nigeria) a title and form of address for a learned or educated man

Word History and Origins

Origin of mallam¹

C20: from Hausa

Example Sentences

Dean Onuwchekwa, an explosive ordnance disposal specialist whose upper body was damaged in 2021 by a homemade bomb he was trying to disarm in Borno state’s Mallam Fatori town.

From Seattle Times

A team of engineers had been organised to fix the crack in the building, the Emir, Mallam Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, told Punch News.

From BBC

"My monthly pension cannot cover the cost of buying bread everyday so we have switched to another more affordable food," Mallam Ado Yahaya, from the northern state of Kano, said.

From BBC

Jadzia Mallam, 17, from Newcastle, said she skipped school to be at the concert.

From BBC

Mallam Suleiman Keke, a community leader in the village of Keke B on the outskirts of the state capital Kaduna, said gunmen on motorbikes arrived late on Monday night and went from house to house seizing children and their parents.

From Reuters