اقلیت

اقلیت

Ottoman Turkish

Etymology

From اقل‎ (ekall, “less”) +‎ ـیت‎ (-iyet, “-ness”). First attested in 1877.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /e.kal.li.jet/

Noun

اقلیت • (ekalliyet) (plural اقلیتلر‎)

1. minority (any subgroup that does not form a numerical majority)

Descendants

• Turkish: ekalliyet
• → Arabic: أَقَلِّيَّة‎ (ʾaqalliyya)
• → Persian: اقلیت‎ (aqalliyat)
  • → Urdu: اقلیت‎ (aqalliyat)

---

Persian

Etymology

From Ottoman Turkish اقلیت‎ (ekalliyet).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian): IPA^(key): /aqallijat/

• (Dari): IPA^(key): /aqallijat/

• (Iranian Persian): IPA^(key): /æɢællijæt/
• (Tajik): IPA^(key): /aqallijat/

Noun

اقلیت • (aqalliyat) (plural اقلیت‌ها‎ (aqalliyat-hâ))

1. minority

Descendants

• → Urdu: اقلیت‎ (aqalliyat)

---

Urdu

Etymology

Borrowed from Classical Persian اقلیت‎ (aqalliyat), itself from Ottoman Turkish اقلیت‎ (ekalliyet).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /ə.qəlː.ɪj.ət̪/
• (colloquial) IPA^(key): /əq.lɪ.jət̪/
• Rhymes: -ət̪

Noun

اَقَلِّیَت • (aqalliyat) f (Hindi spelling अक़ल्लियत)

1. minority

   Antonym: اکثریت‎ (aksariyat, “majority”)

Declension

Declension of اقلیت
	singular	plural
direct	اقلیت‎ (aqliyat)	اقلیتیں‎ (aqliyatẽ)
oblique	اقلیت‎ (aqliyat)	اقلیتوں‎ (aqliyatõ)
vocative	اقلیت‎ (aqliyat)	اقلیتو‎ (aqliyato)

References

• “اقلیت”, in اُردُو لُغَت (in Urdu), Ministry of Education: Government of Pakistan, 2017.
• “اقلیت”, in Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2023.