Shin-Lamedh-Mem is the triconsonantal root of many Semitic words and many of those words are used as names. The root meaning translates to "whole, safe, intact, unharmed, to go free, without blemish". Its earliest known form is in the name of Shalim, the ancient god of dusk of Ugarit. Derived from this are meanings of "to be safe, secure, at peace", hence "well-being, health" and passively "to be secured, pacified, submitted".

• Central Semitic Š-L-M
  • Arabic: س-ل-م, S-L-M
    • Maltese: S-L-M
  • Imperial Aramaic: ܫ-ܠ-ܡ, Š-L-M
  • Canaanite: Š-L-M (c.f. Shalem)
  • Hebrew: ש-ל-ם‎, Š-L-M (Paleo-Hebrew 𐤔-𐤋-𐤌; Samaritan Hebrew ࠔ-ࠋ-ࠌ)
• East Semitic S-L-M
• South Semitic "S-L-M"
  • Ge'ez: ሰ-ላ-ም, S-L-M

Arabic salām (سَلاَم), Maltese sliem, Hebrew Shalom (שָׁלוֹם‎), Ge'ez sälam (ሰላም), Syriac šlama (pronounced Shlama, or Shlomo in the Western Syriac dialect) (ܫܠܡܐ) are cognate Semitic terms for 'peace', deriving from a Proto-Semitic *šalām-.

Given names derived from the same root include Solomon (Süleyman), Absalom, Selim, Salem, Salim, Salma, Salmah, Salman, Selimah, Shelimah, Salome, Szlama (Polish) etc.

Arabic (and by extension Maltese), Hebrew, Ge'ez, and Aramaic have cognate expressions meaning 'peace be upon you' used as a greeting:

• Arabic: As-salāmu ʻalaykum (السلام عليكم) is used to greet others and is an Arabic equivalent of 'hello'. The appropriate response to such a greeting is "and upon you be peace" (wa-ʻalaykum as-salām).
  • Maltese: Sliem għalikom.
• Hebrew: Shālôm ʻalêḵem (שלום עליכם‎) is the equivalent of the Arabic expression, the response being עליכם שלום‎ ʻAlêḵem shālôm, 'upon you be peace'.
• Ge'ez: Selami ālikayimi (ሰላም አልካይም)
• Neo-Aramaic: Šlama 'lokh (ܫܠܡ ܥܠܘܟ), classically, Šlām lakh ܫܠܡ ܠܟ.