salaam means A respectful ceremonial greeting used mostly by Muslims. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 79 out of 100.
salaam is pronounced /səˈlɑːm/.
Why “salaam” is a great word
SALAAM — [Interjection] A ceremonial greeting meaning 'peace,' used chiefly among Muslims. From Arabic سَلَام (salām, "peace"), a doublet of shalom from Hebrew. First attested in English c. 1610. Unlike the secular, transactional “hello” or the covenant-rich “shalom,” “salaam” is a performative prayer, an utterance that enacts the devotion it names. It is the soft consonant whispered upon entering a room, the right hand placed over the heart in a slight bow, the murmured word that carries across a quiet prayer hall—a single breath that offers a fragile peace into being.
Etymology
From Arabic سَلَام (salām, “peace”). Doublet of shalom, a borrowing from Hebrew.
intj
- A respectful ceremonial greeting used mostly by Muslims.
noun
- A low bow as a ceremonial act of deference.“[…] the finest dressed one entered first; put her two hands to her forehead, then to her breasts, and with her two hands touched the Colonel’s foot; this is called a grand salam […]”
verb
- To perform a salaam to (someone).“[H]e went away salaaming, and protesting his friendship and his master’s goodwill.”