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Glite Dictionary
Alawism

Alawism

9.9
A branch of Shia Islam mainly practiced in northwestern Syria and nearby Turkey and Lebanon with different beliefs
  • noun
  • /ˈæləˌwɪzəm/
: alawismo
  • Many people in northwestern Syria identify with Alawism, which has shaped their cultural and religious identity.

Examples

  • In Alawism, rituals and celebrations often reflect a blend of Islamic and local traditions that are important to the community.

  • The followers of Alawism, known as Alawites, celebrate unique festivals that distinguish their practices from other branches of Islam.

  • The Alawites, who constitute about 12 percent of the country's population, are sometimes portrayed as a sect of Islam, but Alawism

    Academic text (1991)

Surface Forms

Alawism singular
Alawisms plural

Morphology

Alawism = Alawi (semi-transparent) = Alaw + ism

The suffix '-ism' clearly indicates a doctrine or sect, but the base 'Alawi' is a proper-name-derived ethnoreligious term that requires cultural knowledge.

Etymology

Alawism comes from the Arabic name Alawi, which means 'of Ali', and from the ending -ism, which means 'a system of belief'. So Alawism is the belief system of people who follow teachings linked to Ali, and it refers to a branch of Shia Islam mainly found in northwestern Syria and nearby parts of Turkey and Lebanon.