Inshallah

Chances are you've heard the word "inshallah" (or Insha'Allah) before; if not, you will. It's an Arabic word that means "God/Allah willing", and it's being used all over the place. In Senegal it's used as a tag at the end of any sentence where you want to say "Oh, I'd love to, but we'll see if it actually happens." So one might say, "Yes, I'll give you my sunglasses the next time I see you, inshallah" or "Sure, I'll come to the beach for that party you mentioned next week--inshallah." Of course the inshallah means the event might well not happen, ostensibly because Allah did not will it. In Spanish, the same sentiment is carried by the word ojalá, which is probably derived from the same root.

I've come across inshallah before in an academic setting; if you're interested, there's a really good short article about it in the American Scholar, here.

The article also contains one of my favorite quotes: "Is it possible that a little less faith in our convictions, and a little more skepticism toward our capacities, would itself be a form of self-improvement?"