'alfaquis' originates from Arabic, specifically the word 'faqīh', where 'faqīh' meant 'jurist' or 'scholar in Islamic law'.

'faqīh' transformed into the Spanish word 'alfaquí', and eventually became the modern English word 'alfaquis'.

Initially, it meant 'jurist' or 'scholar in Islamic law', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.