The meaning of the Arabic word ‘halal’ is ‘(that which is) allowed, permitted or permissible’. Possible transcriptions of the word include ħalâl, ḥalāl and ħala:l.
In Arabic it is spelled حلال.
The root of the word is h-l-l, or
حلّ in Arabic script.
That verb has meanings like to untie, unbind, unfasten, unravel, solve, decipher.
Source: "A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, by Hans Wehr, edited by J M. Cowan, 1976.
The meaning of the adjective is probably connected with derived verb stem IV,
'aktaba (source: Teach yourself Arabic, A.S. Tritton, 1958),
which among other things can mean "to declare lawful,
legally permissible, allow".
The opposite of halal is haram,
for which in the dictionary I find both ħaram
(حرم)
and ħara:m
(حرام).
ħaram means forbidden, prohibited, but also
taboo, holy, sacred, sacrosanct.
ħara:m means forbidden, prohibited, unlawful;
offense, sin; inviolable, taboo; sacred, sacrosanct.
The root and verb from which it derives, ħaruma
(حرم) means to be forbidden,
unlawful, etc.
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