Greetings

Lesson 1.0 defines Ahlan wa sahlan or “ اَهْلًا وَسَهْلًا ” as “Hello”.

However other sources list Ahalan alone as “Hello”.  

What exacly does sahaln “سَهْلًا” mean in this context and what am I lterally saying?

Yes, I am a obsessive compulsive old man.

ET

Hi Ernest-jT, 

I believe we sent a direct reply to you about this; but here's the same explanation we had shared with you:

"The Arabic words Ahlan wa Sahlan أَهْلًا وَسَهْلًا is a greeting, it’s both "Hello" and “Welcome”.

The origin of the greeting goes back to Arabia pre-Islam. It’s short for a longer sentence which is حَلَلْتَ أَهْلاً، وَوَطِئْتَ سَهْلاً

The meaning of Ahl أَهْل is "one’s own-people" or "family." from the trilateral root .ء.هـ.ل. By adding the tanween التنوين "the ‘an’ sound at the end," the word turns into a "Locative adverb" indicating "among the family." Therefore, the meaning of أَهْلًا is that "the greeted has come across his own people or his family, so the person is not a stranger or among strangers."

The meaning of Sahl سَهْل, from the trilateral root .س.هـ.ل., is "easy" and the word is used to refer to "flat land," "level land" or "plain." It indicates the preferred land, the place were ancient Arabs dwelled; a land that is easy to walk on in contrast to the mountains or badlands. By adding the tanween التنوين "the ‘an’ soundstage the end," the word turns into a "Locative adverb" indicating "in the dwelled land." Therefore, the meaning of سَهْلًا is that the greeted has come into the greeter dwelling; a metaphor for welcome, that is, you entered a place where one is welcomed.

The meaning of the longer sentence حَلَلْتَ أَهْلاً، وَوَطِئْتَ سَهْلاً is:

"You descended upon your own people/family, and you stepped on your own dwelled land."

Kind Regards