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Ojalá
Words
Certain: The standard etymology in the RAE dictionary and in Corriente; no serious doubt.Plants & animals · Common

alhelí

wallflower, stock (fragrant flowering plant)planta de flores olorosas de varios colores

Comes from Arabic

الخِيرِيّ

al-khīrī

“the wallflower”«el alhelí»

In Andalusi Arabic: الخَيْرِي al-khayrī

Arabic today says

مَنْثُور

manthūr

The article

Spanish kept the Arabic article al- glued to the word.

The story

The Arabic kh softened to h (which later stopped being pronounced) and r became l: al-khayrī > alhelí.La kh árabe se suavizó en h (que luego dejó de pronunciarse) y la r pasó a l: al-khayrī > alhelí.

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