is an Arabic spoken greeting used by Muslims as well as Arab Christians and Jews. The term Salam in Arabic means "Peace". The greeting may also be transliterated as aSalaam 'Alaykum which means "Peace Be Upon You". The traditional response is wa `Alaykum As-Salaam, meaning "and Upon You Be Peace". This type of greeting is common in the Middle East, Africa, The Balkans and South Asia. Its Hebrew counterpart greeting is Shalom aleichem and its Maltese is Sliem ghalikom.
The term in Arabic uses the second person plural, even when used to address one person, similar to the use of vous in French. However the term may also be used addressing a person in the singular form both masculine and feminine, the dual form, or the feminine plural. This is how they are said:
As-Salāmu `Alayk(a) —Peace be upon you (m. sing.)
As-Salāmu `Alayk(i) —Peace be upon you (f. sing)
As-Salāmu `Alayk(uma) —Peace be upon you (to two people of any gender)
As-Salāmu `Alayk(unna) —Peace be upon you (f. plural - to three or more females only)
As-Salāmu `Alayk(um)—Peace be upon you (To a group of three or more people, where at least one is a male - or to a member of state such as a prime minister, president, king, or queen)
The correct classical Arabic response depends on who is addressing you. The same rules apply as above; ka, ki, kuma, kunna, kum; wa alayk(...) as-salām
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