A cikin harshen Larabci ana cewa: mutumin ya samu ('alima) ilimi ('ilm). Ma'anar hakan ita ce ya kai ga gaskiyar hakikanin ilimi. Idan aka ce ya sami ilimin wani abu, ma'anarsa ya san shi, wato an sanar da shi wani al'amari ko ya saba da shi. Haka kuma a harshen ana cewa: ya samu fahimta (thaqifa), wato ya kware, don haka ya zama mai ilimi da wayewa (thaqif). Ya fahimci harshe (thaqifa) yana nufin ya ƙware da shi kuma ya fahimce shi cikin sauri. Waɗannan ma'anonin harshe su ne tushen amfani da kalmomi. Sai dai idan an yi amfani da waɗannan kalmomi don nuna wasu ma'anoni masu alaƙa da ma'anar harshe, to hakan halal ne, kamar yadda aka karɓi kalmar fa'il (mai aiki) a nahawu misali. Ma'anar harshe ce ta fi yaɗuwa, shi ya sa tsoffin malamai suke amfani da kalmar 'ilm a kan dukkan nau'ikan ilimi ba tare da bambance tsakanin ilimomi da fannoni ba. Daga baya mutane suka fara ɗaukar ilimomin hankali da na halitta a matsayin waɗanda suka shafi kowa, yayin da ilimomin naqli (na rubutu) aka ɗauke su a matsayin na al'ummar da aka karɓo su daga gare ta. Daga nan kowane daga cikin 'ilm da thaqafa ya fara samun ma'anar ƙayyadaddiyar ƙa'ida gwargwadon fannin da yake, har ya sami ma'anonin ƙa'ida (istilahi) waɗanda suka bambanta da ma'anonin harshensu. Bisa ga wannan istilahi, suna da ma'anoni kamar haka: 'Ilm shi ne ilimin da ake samu ta hanyar lura, gwaji da koyarwa, kamar ilimin kimiyyar lissafi (physics), sinadarai (chemistry) da sauran ilimomin gwaji. Thaqafa kuwa shi ne ilimin da ake samu ta hanyar watsawa, karatu da hasashe, kamar nazarin tarihi, harsuna, fiqhu, falsafa da sauran fannonin da ba na gwaji ba. Akwai kuma wasu ilimomi marasa na gwaji waɗanda ake ɗaukar su a matsayin kimiyya (‘ilm) duk da cewa suna cikin al'adu (thaqafa), kamar lissafi (arithmetic), injiniyanci (engineering) da masana'anta (industry). Duk da cewa suna ƙarƙashin al'adu (thaqafa), ana ɗaukar su a matsayin wani ɓangare na kimiyya saboda suna na duniya ga dukan mutane, ba na wata al'umma ɗaya ba. Haka kuma, duk wani abu daga al'adu da ya shafi sana'o'in hannu waɗanda suka yi kama da masana'anta, kamar kasuwanci da sufurin jiragen ruwa, ana ɗaukar su a matsayin wani ɓangare na kimiyya, kuma suna na duniya. Amma fasaha irin su zane-zane (painting), sassaƙa (sculpture) da waƙa/kiɗa (music) suna cikin al'adu (thaqafa). Suna bin wani ra'ayi na musamman, wato wata al'ada ta musamman. Bambancin da ke tsakanin al'adu (thaqafa) da kimiyya (‘ilm) ke nan.